Never seen this before

[CambriaArea51]

Going through my coal cars to do some redo weathering and adding the reflective striping on some that were missed I came across this deformed car. It wasn't exposed to heat or sun light and only one car in a pack of 6.

 

[migalyto]

Is the bottom of it metal, or plastic?

 

[CambriaArea51]

Is the bottom of it metal, or plastic?

plastic.
Looks to be headed to a flatcar for a derailment load.

 

[DakotaLove39]

Given that the spine is distended and the paint or surface appears to be cracking, it looks like you've got zinc rot or zinc pest. The alloy process for that metal part didn't quite go to plan and now the minerals within are doing their own thing. Time to get a replacement part.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Is that spine actually bowing downward or is it the design?

 

[bnsf971]

That's zinc contamination. The frame will crumble to powder if you remove it.

 

[Rico]

Wow, I have multiple six packs of those cars and I’ve never seen that!
I doubt Walthers has parts for those anymore, feebay might have a cheap single listed?

 

[logandsawman]

I had a couple old Varney tenders with the rot going on in their base, also a very nice Varney loco saw the wheels totally go to pieces. The older models had a brass alloy solid wheel on the locomotives which turns out to be the superior design. Newer is not always better.

Dave LASM

 

[CambriaArea51]

Is that spine actually bowing downward or is it the design?

Bowing downward.

 

[bnsf971]

I'd probably remove the frame from the body. I've seen the body shells split from the force of the expansion, then the whole thing is junk, not just the frame.

 

[CambriaArea51]

I'd probably remove the frame from the body. I've seen the body shells split from the force of the expansion, then the whole thing is junk, not just the frame.

The car is pretty much beyond repair. I have an empty flatcar begging for a derailment load. So it won't be a total loss.