# N Gauge Steam Generator Car



## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Don’t know if this has been asked before, but has any manufacturer ever made a steam generator car in N scale?


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

Walthers lists a large number of what Rapido calls "steam generator cars" with DCC in HO that look like FB units to me - Kato has made those in N. I've seen pics of diesel-era heater cars on steam tender frames, but I've never seen one in N scale.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

GNfan said:


> Walthers lists a large number of what Rapido calls "steam generator cars" with DCC in HO that look like FB units to me - Kato has made those in N. I've seen pics of diesel-era heater cars on steam tender frames, but I've never seen one in N scale.








Steam Generator Car







www.walthers.com


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Yes, I know about the Rapido steam generator car in H.O…..I have a couple of those from the first run….

I was asking about N scale versions, as I did post in the N scale section…..maybe that was not clear enough to some…..

By the way, they do not look like FB units, if you have seen them in real life, you would not mistake them……or maybe you would….

Anyway, here is a little history and info…..



> Steam Heater Cars, known in Canada as Steam Generator Units or SGUs, were introduced in the diesel era to provide steam heat to passenger trains in cooler weather. When passenger trains were hauled by steam locomotives, there was always a reliable source of steam. Unless a diesel locomotive was equipped with a boiler and water tank, heat could not be provided. This was before the days of electrical Head End Power for passenger cars. Heater cars were frequently rebuilt from boxcars, B-units and old steam locomotive tenders, so they varied in shape and size from railroad to railroad. That is, unless you are in Canada. It is so cold here so much of the time that purpose-built SGUs were built by CC&F (Canadian Car & Foundry), GMD (General Motors Diesel Division) and NSC (National Steel Car). Our model is based on the GMD prototype


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

OK, true, I've never seen one of those Canadian purpose-built heater cars. What I have seen is plenty of pictures of FB or EB units re-purposed into heater cars or HEP cars. My point was that these seem to be locomotives (why else do they have DCC?) and that an N scale Kato FB unit might be "close enough for government work" .

Kato N 1762211 EMD F7B Diesel, Santa Fe Warbonnet (Steam Generator) - ModelTrainStuff


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

The Canadian ones are NOT locomotives….they have DCC so the steam generator sounds and lights can be controlled…..

Anyway, my original question still stands…has any manufacturer ever made the steam generator car that I’m asking about…..

By the way, even Great Northern had steam heater cars….slightly different than the Canadian version….


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

This is one built out of steam tender. NP also had a small number of baggage cars which also carried water tanks.
View attachment 561069


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

I messed up uploading the photo in the last post. Try this again.







the photo


I'll take your word for it that the Rapido HO units aren't locomotives; I had just never seen anything before listed as having DCC that wasn't a locomotive.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Athearn is also bringing out cabooses with DCC to control the lights and airhorn functions on their new ICC cabooses, and they are definitely not locomotives…..

DCC is not just for locomotives anymore…..


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