Questions about PRR RPOs

[VonRyan]

I have three PRR RPO cars and i'm wondering which one would be best suited in a dedicated train for the handling of parcels and/or in a dedicated REA train. I have a Walther's baggage car that I picked up at Springfield for $8 and i'm wondering which RPO is best suited to go with it, or if I should try and find a baggage car to match one of the RPOs so that it'll look right behind either my F3 A-B pair, my NW2, and/or (too much of a stretch perhaps?) my H10sa once it's completed.
Also, for the Kato RPO, is there MT versions of the trucks, and is there MT trucks for the Walther's baggage car? In both instances, i'm looking for truck mounted couplers.

The three RPO cars and Baggage car. The middle RPO is a Con-Cor version, an older one, but which looked like the newer one in the picture on eBay, I got it from the same seller as the Kato RPO.



Thanks All!

-Cody F.

[CBQ Fan]

Are you looking for a true PRR prototype?

[VonRyan]

Are you looking for a true PRR prototype?

Well, it'd probably be good for the future and as a general reference, but i'm mostly looking for what works for a short PRR parcels/REA train and/or a short mail train, specifically one that would utilize something of the equipment I already have, and would bee seen behind at least an F3 A-B pair and/or an H10sa.

-Cody F.

[chicken45]

I saw that Walthers baggage car on your Facebook photos, I immediately thought to myself, "that car is such a foob that if word ever got out that I owned one at one point in time, I would be sacrificed by the SPFs with a buff railroad spoke to my Tuscan Red heart." I don't think that Walthers car is close to anything Pennsy. I was a fool and paid retail for it before I knew.

Joking aside, Pennsy didn't seem hip to the lightweight head end car scene. The other SPF "heavyweights" (Al  ) can chime in, but I think the best of what we have are the Hell Gate Models B60b (they make a "REA messenger version"  and RPO, the Kato RPO, and the Lima/MP combine.
The Combine is pretty close to a PBM 70, or can be bashed into a more plentiful PB70.
You can bash 2 MTL RPOs into an accurate Pennsy prototype. Claus did an article in TKM a few issues back.

Oh, the Centraila RPO isn't as big of a foob as everyone thinks.  I think it's close to a BM85a. Alwyn can confirm/correct that for me.

[Bob Bufkin]

Get one of the RPOs from the Kato Broadway set.  Correct car.  I think at one time they had bodies for sale.  i know they had trucks because I boght a bunch.

[chicken45]

Also, there isn't a version of the Kato RPO truck...yet. MTL hasn't confirmed yet, but supposedly it will be used on the upcoming diner.

[Bob Bufkin]

If you haven't got any yet, keep your eyes open for the Red Caboose X-29 marked for REA.  PRR mail and express trains were loaded with these cars.  Also Bowser make a  cabin car(caboose) marked for express service.

[eric220]

Also Bowser make a  cabin car(caboose) marked for express service.

Made. Much to the chagrin of this SPF, Bowser seems to be backing out of the N Scale market.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Cody,

I am currently waiting the arrival of the Centralia Car Shop RPO which I believe are quite similar to the BM85 Streamlined Baggage RPO

http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/baggagemail//sm_bm85_bm85a.gif

The diagram above on Rob's site shows the wagon as having squared windows in the sides and the doors. The diagrams also show the doors having square  windows.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2815442 identifies this cars as being an ex PRR BM85 which I believe Jerry identified. The one identifying feature of this car appears to be that the five windows show are on the side opposite to the drawing which shows that the side shown should only have four windows. I am nor torn between Jerrys extensive knowledge and the drawings of the PRR.

The following is a model of a BM85 which was kitbashed

http://varnish.pennsyrr.com/GSPEAR_PRR_Pic_2.htm?carname=BM85%20-%20AHM%20Kitbash%20%20%20%20%20&pic1=BM85_1.jpg&pic2=BM85_2.jpg&end=end

This is the CCS car in question




I will shortly have a trace of the car drawn to N Scale so that I can publish it on the net as my own so it can be shared.  So if you can hold off for a week or two I will have the information processed for publication and photos of the cars themselves. I have noticed that there are a few more on eBay just at present at a good buy it now price.

Regards

Al

[wcfn100]

I am currently waiting the arrival of the Centralia Car Shop RPO which I believe are quite similar to the BM85 Streamlined Baggage RPO

http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/baggagemail//sm_bm85_bm85a.gif

You are putting way too much stock into that equipment diagram.  The only thing you can trust are the written dimensions.  Anything else will probably just make your car wrong in some other way.  I would even be surprised if the measurements are drawn to the same scale.


Jason

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Jason,

I am putting to-gether the trace in conjunction with photos and other information gleaned from the Internet.  There is a considerable amount out there. It is like a lot of things you accept what you can confirm and rejects what you cannot confirm and if it can be modified within reasonable tolerances from certified and confirmed data it can then be incorporated. Other than that at this time I do not have the where with all to cross the Pacific ditch to make my own measurements and take photos. At the end of the day it will have to satisfy me  and no one else. The rest can either accept it, reject it or modify it and use it. Do you have a better option?

Cody,

I also have to agree with Bob and if you can purchase a BWL BM70K from Kato as a spare jump at it. I picked an extra one and paid $40.00 for it and got another that is damaged for parts and other kit bashed. Kato did put them on their site as kits and I think they last about an 1 hr if that. If that did not tell Kato something nothing will. I have another two which are dedicated as East and West bound BWL cars but I wish I could get another 10.

I am currently talking to Clause at Hell Gate models to get more of his BM70K kits made and out there. I could do with three or four of them as well. Clause has advised that he is busy for another four or so weeks and then after that he will be free and hope to get production back up and running.

Regards

Al

[dougnelson]

Cody:

The PRR carried a lot of mail and express that were found in various headend cars on most passenger trains and also in dedicated mail and express trains.  But understand that mail and express are two different things.  There were two kinds of mail:  sealed mail in bags or carts that were not sorted enroute, and mail for sorting enroute.  Sealed mail was carried in a variety of cars, most commonly B60b and B70 baggage cars, and X29 express box cars.  Mail for sorting was carried exclusively in RPO cars, or car sections, that were leased to the Postal Service.  Express packages were handled by Railway Express Agency in various head end equipment including B60b and B70 baggage cars, R50 express reefers, REA reefers, and X29 express box cars.  Baggage and express cars from other railroads were often seen mixed in with PRR and REA headend cars.  PRR dedicated mail and express trains also usually carried a P70 rider coach, or dedicated service N5 cabin car for train crews.

The Kato BM70 is a great car for a PRR RPO, but it was almost entirely dedicated to mail, so it would not have carried REA express packages.  The Hell Gate Models BM70k has a smaller RPO section and express could have been carried in the baggage section.

A good reference is the book "PRR Passenger Trains, Consists and Cars - 1952" by Stegmaier.  It shows headend cars typically carried in passenger trains and has a chapter on dedicated mail and express trains.

Commonly used for sealed mail and REA express was the PRR B60b (Hell Gate Models)


Also commonly seen were PRR X29 box cars adapted for express and use in passenger trains (this car Fine N, also Red Caboose)


PRR B70 (Kitbashed from Rivarossi baggage)


PRR BM70k (Hell Gate Models)


PRR R50b express reefer (brass)


REA reefer (Fine N)


A wide variety of foreign road headend cars could also be seen in PRR M&E trains such as this NH baggage car (Wheels of Time kit)

[pjm20]

Made. Much to the chagrin of this SPF, Bowser seems to be backing out of the N Scale market.

When I was a their store, I asked about N Scale and they said that they didn't have any boxes for their models to be packaged with, thus they are delaying all production until they get more boxes. Also, they said that production should be normal by the summer or later within the year.

[CodyO]

Doug thanks for that photo guide!

I've been picking up many CCS PRR cars lately and now that I know the RPO is a true prototype ill be sure to get them, still need tons of coaches though
I have about 30 of the X29s for headend use, just need some of Claus's kits to finish my headend cars


Good to hear about bowser, I emailed them to see about a special run of H31s and never heard anything back so that was a bit disappointing hopefully they didn't feed you BS and they will get back into production!

[bbussey]

The Centralia model is a very good representation of the BM85.  Keep in mind though that this is a late-Pennsy prototype, 1960s only.  They were converted from another class of car in the early 1960s, of which the identity escapes me at this moment.