Schnabel Cars - the largest of which has 30 axles and is over 300 feet long when loaded - were developed in the 1960s and 1970s to transport components of electrical power plants, such as transformers, boilers, turbine generators, and nuclear reactor vessels.
Most Schnabel cars have three distinguishing characteristics:
The car is not rigid, but consists of a center section that acts like a bridge between the two pivoting end sections.
The load itself forms the center structure of the car when loaded. After the load is delivered, the two end sections are fastened together for return transport.
The car contains hydraulic equipment that can shift the load side to side - to clear a lineside obstacle such as a tree - or raise the load when extra ground clearance is needed - when cresting a hill, for example.
While the M.T.H. Schnabel car is the largest piece of rolling stock we make, at 14 axles and just over 100 feet long it's a relatively small member of the Schnabel family, which consists of about 90 cars operating in North America, Europe, and Asia. Our model is an accurate replica of car WECX 203, built in 1976 for Westinghouse Electric's Large Transformer Division in Muncie, Indiana. Like the prototype, the two ends of the M.T.H. model can be fastened together to travel empty, without their transformer load.
MTH Premier O Scale freight cars are the perfect complement to any manufacturer's scale proportioned O Gauge locomotives. Whether you prefer to purchase cars separately or assemble a unit train, MTH Premier Rolling Stock has the cars for you in a variety of car types and paint schemes.
Virtually every sturdy car is offered in two car numbers which makes it even easier than ever to combine them into a mult-car consist. Many of MTH's Premier Rolling Stock offerings can also operate on the tightest O Gauge curves giving them even more added versatitlity to your layout.
