2023 O Gauge Premier And RailKing U.S. Army Flat Cars Announced

August 15, 2023 - M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing the 2023 Premier O Scale and RailKing O Gauge Flat Car w/(3) Willy’s Transport Vehicles in U.S. Army liveries this Winter. Each of these offerings are limited in production and expected to begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in February 2024.

Check out each of the offerings in the list on the left.

PROTOTYPE HISTORY

The flat car is perhaps the oldest of railroad cars, predating even the steam locomotive. From the very beginning, it was useful for commodities that could not have fit into a covered car. As far back as 1834, the horse-drawn Granite Railway in Quincy, Massachusetts ganged four of its four-wheel flatcars together to ship 60-ton granite blocks destined to be made into columns for the new Boston Court House.

On its customer Web site, the Union Pacific Railroad characterizes modern flat cars like this model as available “in a variety of lengths, tonnage and capacities for specialized commodities that are not subject to damage from the elements.” Attributes are listed as “easier to load and unload freight,” “can drive machinery directly on to the car,” and nailable wood (as in our model) or steel floors that allow “nail blocking and bracing to the floor for a damagefree, secure shipment.” For shipping large or bulky items, from machinery and vehicles to steel plates, pipes, and beams, the flat car has been the solution for nearly two centuries.

Check out each of the offerings in the list on the left.