Rivet Counter HO Scale BSC F68AH Bulkhead Flatcar, Undecorated

The first production BSC F68-series flat cars, the F68AH, first appeared in 1969. They were initially equipped with 10’, 11” tall end bulkheads with wood facing; wood deck with integral tie-down channels; and steel deck risers. These 100-ton cars came equipped with 36” wheels, trucks equipped with hydraulic snubbers (at opposite corners of the car), and 15” End of Car Cushioning (EOCC) to improve ride quality and reduce dangerous shifting loads.

Well over 1,100 F68AH bulkhead flats were built before production of the design ceased in August 1974. Several are still in service today.

The early builds featured an “H” shaped fabricated jacking pad at the bolsters. During the final two years of production, this changed to a fabricated box with an integral roping eye. All were built with transverse steel risers in the deck but this feature would start to be removed from the fleet after just a few years of service. While most cars featured a bulkhead face-to-face distance (inside length) of 62’, some cars were equipped with added bulkhead faces over the original bulkheads which reduced the inside length to 60’, 6”.