Questions about PRR RPOs

[Bob Bufkin]

Anyone ever try to do a PRR scenery or horse car?  How would you do the end door on one of these? 

[chicken45]

Anyone ever try to do a PRR scenery or horse car?  How would you do the end door on one of these?

I was actrally talking to Alwyn about these. I'd love to have a Wagner and a Lohengrin!

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2815442 identifies this cars as being an ex PRR BM85 which I believe Jerry identified."

Initially I thought this car to be a PC rebuild of a PRR baggage - bar - lounge but further research (and a lot of money to gain considerably better resources) I found that this car is in fact an IC car, rebuilt from an 18 Roomette sleeper.  Very similar to the five cars done by PC but there are some finer detail differences, primarily with the type of door and the placement of the doors.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Jerry,

The windows in the doors and the size of the windows plus the this side of the car having five windows instead of four is what concerned me. I do respect your advice but as it was some one else making the statement I did wonder.

Brian,

I was reading through some books last night before beauty time and came across a photo that told me that car 6965 started life as a baggage dormitory car.

Doug,

I have copies of all your cars in my own personal file. They are inspirational  and I am waiting for the next run of Hellgate Models to be launched. Especially the BM70K. I have been trying to fit some modelling in between my normal production but have found it difficult lately. I will eventually get my B70 Baggage Cars done.

Bob,

As Josh said we have discussed the scenery and also the horse cars.

There are some great photos around of the Pennsy in later life showing trains leaving St Louis with the train consisting of mainly of B60s and other headend cars with one or two passenger cars on the rear.

Regards

Al

[Nato]

               It depends on how accurate you want to go as others have pointed out. Good baggage car stand-in's if you didn't have Hellgate Models cars would be Wheels Of Time baggage cars with Harriman Arched roofs or one with a minotor roof. Best RPO car as pointed out would be the Kato Broad Ltd. car,but the Con Cor car eventhough it is a GN prototype looks pretty good,next best the old Rivarossi/Atlas car really a Monon prototype  made from a lightweight WW II hospital car,so the platform end door was left in place. The MT Pennsy Heavyweight RPO car is a good foob stand-in if you could make a decal for the decorative black protector plates on the sides next to the doors it might look even better. Skip the Kato Burlington RPO car painted tuscan. The IM Centraillia car is an accurate model of an SP early 1950's car,but as pointed out is similar to cars later constructed from other types of lightweight cars.

[Bob Bufkin]

Those WOT cars (as mentioned) could be run in PRR trains.  Besides the NH one (which ran on the cooridore in a routine basis), I've seen photos of the IC car in PRR trains rounding the curve.  And for you Western modelers, a PRR express car of any time would be at home on your passenger/express trains.  Seen many a photo of them in CA at various cities.

[eric220]

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.

That would be awesome, and I would be overjoyed to be proven wrong.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Nato,

I think we are trying to get things as accurate as possible. I do agree that the Hellgate Models product is as good as it gets and if you can find a stand alone Kato car grab it. I only wish Kato would get off their butt and run them separately. They could also do a lot of their cars separate and sell them as well. We will have to keep on the back of MTL now to produce another accurate PRR Car. Maybe a PB70 Combine.

Apart from the windows in the doors of the CCS BM85 the long steps under the end door also do not gel with the photos of the real thing. I will not know about anything else until I get the models here in about tens days as they left the US this morning.

Regards

Al

[CodyO]

Anyone ever try to do a PRR scenery or horse car?  How would you do the end door on one of these?

A friend bob is having brass PRR horse cars produced he's been to Korea once to visit the plant they should go into production this summer ill ask him
For more info and share with you guys

[Bob Bufkin]

That's good news on the horse car.  Would like at least 2 if they are made decently.

Slight change of subject (this is Railwire right) - has anyone tried to do shadowlining of passenger cars.  I know the PRR did  a diner and a few other heavyweight cars to fill in Congressional and Senator cars which were out of service.  I think it would be a pain in the a$$ in N to try this.  Would have to have a steady hand, etc.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Bob,

You must be phys chick. I was just reading about Coffee Shop 1157 which was a ex diner painted with the shadow-line streamlining for the Congressional and Senator trains. That would not be that hard to do as it would only be a decal. I do not believe there was any fluting to it. It would appear they were re-built Heavy Weights.

The photo and write up was in the very first PRR  book I bought way back in 1976/77. It may not be the most informative book but it is a wonder I have not read the print and pictures off the pages. 

It has the best side on photo of a BM85 I can find.

Regards

Al

[VonRyan]

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.

Good you mentioned that before I tried to hunt one down. Especially since I model between 1942 and 1952.

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.

Is that the kato RPO in the photo in my OP. I haven't seen one of the Kato Broadway sets to know whats in it.

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)

Clearly there is quite a bit of stuff out there... Lots to consider.


What specifically would I need for a short train behind either an F3 A-B pair, NW2, or H10sa? Specifically a dedicated mail/REA type train.
Plus is any of my existing equipment in the photo I posted useable?

I do have A Pennsy N5-C

(Don't mind what looks to be a high ride-height. it's just listing to port a bit.)

The motive power currently on shed...



-Cody F.

[chicken45]

Good you mentioned that before I tried to hunt one down. Especially since I model between 1942 and 1952.

That red and white keystone is a dead give away to the era.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Cody,

This is a Kato BM70



Josh,

Yes the reflective Keystone is a late runner. But the thing I am interested in is that it is a Headend Car which can run with latter Pennsy Cars. Still got to do a search for the cars it ran with. I guess it woulf have run with the BWL in the 60s. More research required. Help Jerry.

Regards

Al

[VonRyan]

That red and white keystone is a dead give away to the era.

Did I mention my overall Prototype knowledge can fit within the nutrition facts of a standard cereal box, in size 10 font.

-Cody F.