# Thoughts on the MTH 1:32 Flat Cars



## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Greetings,

I've just obtained an MTH UP flat car w/pipe load off eBay. For the price and the lack of flat cars out there, I couldn't pass up the chance.

So, now a bit late, what do people know about the MTH 1:32 stuff and how close are they compaired to AMS?

Thanks in advance


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

it is small to everthing else. 
i have some 100 ton hoppers and they are small all around....


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Another source for flats is the Aristo Classic line. The flats come with spools mounted on the deck, but these pop off easily. I'd redo the floor if my new load didn't cover them. They are 1:24, but older and shorter than modern ones and should look fine with your AMS. 
John


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Here's an aristo 1:29 flatcar next to an MTH modern flatcar. The MTH is longer and narrower.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Hard to do too much right or wrong to a flatcar. The only thing I didn't like about the MTH was the stock couplers, which extended WAY out from the body. But it came to look out of scale to me--it's clearly based on a longer, more recent prototype than the aristo, which is based on a 40 foot prototype


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

I thought MTH was 1/32. If there is any dimension marking on the car, check the dimensions of the flat car against those.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, MTH is in 1:32. AMS works in 1:20 and 1:32. The MTH flatcar works well as a modern car in 1:32, but in 1:20 I think it would look too narrow. If you are thinking of the AMS 1:20 flatcars, the sides of the MTH car can be removed and it could be bulked up, it might be about the right length.


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## yardtrain (Feb 18, 2008)

I have the opposite opinion, everything else looks to big and out of proportion.


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

The MTH flat car is a very good and 1/32 scale replica of the AAR flat car, built around the late thirties and early forties, these cars had cast integral frames made by General steel castings and in a way this is a rare instance where prototype practice followed model railroading (although at an earlier time) the whole cars frame was cast in steel in one piece. I don't know how many roads had such cars but I know that the PRR had very similiar cars (only difference seems to be in the decking layout of the ends. This is why it doesn't have any rivet details except for the rivets used to hold down the wood decking on the frame. It needs to be lowered on the trucks about 5mm (saw the bolsters and remove 5mm. and reglue using chlorophorm as it's polycarbonate) and have scale wheels and Kadee couplers body mounted if you use large radius curves. The aristo craft model is a shortened model of a mid '20's sixty foot car much shortened and 1/29 scale. The shortening has modified the angle of the fish belly making a lengthening of this model almost impossible, if one wants to make a scale model out of it.


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