Rivet Counter HO Scale BSC F68AH Bulkhead Flatcar, TTX/Yellow/Speed Logo/Patched/TTPX
Introduced in 1969, the Bethlehem Steel Co. (BSC) F68-series of 100-ton, 68’ foot long (over end sills) flats represented a new generation of high-capacity flat cars. Extremely versatile, the basic design could be equipped from the factory with a variety of appliances to handle different loadings. Our model is accurately rendered from builder drawings and photos and features road number specific details.
Prototype examples with the 1991 Speed Logo have been documented in service to present day
Series 81079-81178 (F68AH), built 1973-1974
Road number 81171
Data and lettering usage and placement variations
Fully-assembled
Multiple road numbers
Logo extension panels for “TT” logo
Modified bulkheads (60’, 6” inside length)
Now with factory-applied laser-cut wood deck
No deck risers
Recessed deck tie-down details
Photo-etched stainless steel see-through end crossover platforms
Factory-applied metal grab irons, coupler cut levers, and trainline hoses and connection pipe with silver gladhands
Late “box” style integrated jacking pads with roping eyes
Handbrake housing with finely detailed wheel and chain
Complete underbody brake system with over 18 separately applied parts including air reservoir, control valve, reduction relay valve and retainer valve plus wireform plumbing and trainline pipe
Durable body-mounted die-cast metal semi-scale long-shank Type E knuckle couplers
100-ton trucks with hydraulic snubber and bracket details, rotating bearing caps, and truck-mounted brake beams
Printed reporting mark and road number on all four trucks
36” machined metal wheels with accurately profiled .110" wide wheel tread
Operates on Code 70, 83 and 100 rail
Printing and lettering legible even under magnification
Weighted to Industry standards for reliable operation
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.
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”.
Well over 1,100 F68AH bulkhead flats were built before production of the design ceased in August 1974. Several are still in service today.
