MTL heavyweight baggage car

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Jerry, is the all-green scheme on this class passable for the 1950s as long as the ARE is changed to REA?  Doesn't it depend on if the lettering is gold leaf or imitation gold?  All the pics I've seen of this class other than the builder's photo is of the two-tone scheme, whether in the 1950s or well into the 1960s after the EL merger.

The doors also are modified from the as-built design in every photo I've seen.

I have yet to find any shots of these cars in the solid green paint.  Everything I have links on are of the two tone green scheme with yellow trim.  The doors also appear modified but I suspect that they are wood instead of the aluminum doors a lot of roads went with.  Possibly modifying the model's doors could be an option but the way the windows were done on the doors were rather unusual...

http://rr-fallenflags.org/el/pax/erie-be590bjh.jpg
http://rr-fallenflags.org/el/pax/erie-be597lba.jpg

[Chris333]

Most of my photos are black and white, but show a dark solid color with no stripe. I should also add that in the same photos a steam locomotive is pulling them so it was before 1951 when the stripe scheme was brought out.

[arbomambo]

Everybody brings up solid points...ultimately, the VERY few (2-3) pics of these that exist, in the 50's, show two tone...
but...many other pics, during the 50's, of other classes of Erie baggage and combine cars, both heavyweight and lightweight, show that they were dark green all the way up to the merger...
Unless someone can show hard evidence, I can't imagine that Erie would single out one whole class of heavyweight baggage, and make sure that all of them got the new two tone paint...the baggage door 'fix' is fairly easy to represent a 're-doored' wooden door car...especially modifying the windows.
I have no issue re-painting the green if it's the wrong color for the 50's era green (lettering may be problematic-unless someone can point me to a good source of decals for this and the express milk/insulated cars)
Bruce

[bbussey]

Everybody brings up solid points...ultimately, the VERY few (2-3) pics of these that exist, in the 50's, show two tone...

The two or three that have been referenced in this thread only though.  But there are more pics of the class available.  All pics of the class in the Morning Sun's Erie CGF&P for example are in the two-tone scheme, albeit with roof and door variations.

Unless someone can show hard evidence, I can't imagine that Erie would single out one whole class of heavyweight baggage, and make sure that all of them got the new two tone paint...

Why not?  The class was small enough, and the majority of the passenger equipment was repainted.  Aside from all that though, the burden of proof is on showing any of the cars still in the all-green scheme in the 1950s as opposed to showing photos of each of the 24 cars in the two-tone scheme.  The evidence to date suggests that all the cars in the class were repainted, so that is the basis that needs to be disproven by producing an all-green photo.

[arbomambo]

excellent points...
available decals seem to be more of an issue to modifying them to avail;able photos for the mid-50s...the actual door mods are simple enough, up to replacing and/or modifying the existing model's doors...and since I've mentioned it again, IS there any current avenue/source for decals?

Bruce

[glakedylan]

not intending to hijack the thread or take in a different direction, away from Erie posts
so, just a quick question and then I hope it will get back on track

I read in PRR yahoo group posting that being an Erie prototype for this car design
that the PRR is total foobie? is nothing about this car within the PRR scheme of things?

thanks,
Gary

[bbussey]

available decals seem to be more of an issue to modifying them to avail;able photos for the mid-50s...the actual door mods are simple enough, up to replacing and/or modifying the existing model's doors...and since I've mentioned it again, IS there any current avenue/source for decals?

Also note that the door modifications appear to be unique to each car.

While there are no specific ERIE heayweight decals, the baggage car lettering easily can be pieced together from 60-241 SP Heavyweights set (everything except the car number).  The car numbers will take some investigating, but certainly there is a Microscale offering with extended Railroad Roman that will fill that hole.  The "ERIE" can be pieced together out of the "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" lettering, the other required lettering exists on the sheet.  A number of sets have the horizontal striping, such as 60-1142 Pennsylvania Heavyweight Stripes.

[bbussey]

not intending to hijack the thread or take in a different direction, away from Erie posts
so, just a quick question and then I hope it will get back on track

I read in PRR yahoo group posting that being an Erie prototype for this car design
that the PRR is total foobie? is nothing about this car within the PRR scheme of things?

The baggage is an Erie-specific prototype, just as the diner is a Pennsylvania-specific prototype and the coach is a B&O-specific prototype and the RPO is a GN/NH prototype and the forthcoming mail-baggage is a Burlington-specific prototype and the horse/theater car is a Southern Pacific prototype.  It would be near-impossible to find any non-Pullman heavyweight equipment that could be considered "standardized" where multiple railroads acquired them. 

From what I remember, all Pennsy baggage cars had symmetrical doors.

[glakedylan]

Bryan...thank you as always for your knowledge and your willingness to share it here

since I have two on order, I suppose some kitbash for doors will be needed
or I could just add them to my Erie fleet

nonetheless, thanks for making this clear and letting me know what (at a minimum)
detracts from PRR baggage car

please return now to the ERIE direction of this thread

sincerely--

[arbomambo]

Also note that the door modifications appear to be unique to each car.

While there are no specific ERIE heayweight decals, the baggage car lettering easily can be pieced together from 60-241 SP Heavyweights set (everything except the car number).  The car numbers will take some investigating, but certainly there is a Microscale offering with extended Railroad Roman that will fill that hole.  The "ERIE" can be pieced together out of the "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" lettering, the other required lettering exists on the sheet.  A number of sets have the horizontal striping, such as 60-1142 Pennsylvania Heavyweight Stripes.

Good to know...I do have the PRR stripes sheet...and I have enough needed Microscale sheets to place an order!
but shouldn't these all be Dulux gold and not 'gold'? or yellow?

Bruce

[thomasjmdavis]

Prime Mover decals has had Erie passenger decals on their "things to do list" for a while now.  Maybe issuing of this car will give them a little incentive.  I wrote them a while back and they indicated at the time that they would do them in N scale if there was enough interest.
http://primemoverdecals.com/

[Chris333]

I have no idea what gives Primemover "interest". I had been bugging them for years to get Erie caboose decals in N that they already made in HO. Then one day boom they were listed in N.

[OldEastRR]

This is a kitbashed version of the PRR B60b. Cut down from a Rivarossi full baggage, new door openings, fully covered roof, etc. Compare this to the MTL car to figure out what mods need be done to make it this version. I also tried to make it look like the side panels were Pennsy-style.
Also, I'm going to use the Roundhouse express reefer/36' foot coach trucks because they are 4-wheeled and closer to the PRR trucks used. I think the WoT shorty coach trucks are also usable.
And there's always Hellgate Models for an exact version of the B60.

[glakedylan]

OldEastRR

thanks for the photo and information
yes, it is kind of what I pictured in my head as the way to kitbash into something that would be more PRR-like

I was late to the party on the HellGate B60b but was able to pick one up on eBay (the cost significantly higher)
and have been in touch with Claus who said they would be making another run someday, the biggest issue
being that the trucks are no longer available from the original source

again, thanks...time to get some styrene and my xacto tools out and ready to cut!

sincerely--
Gary

[OldEastRR]

A correction: I do use the East Wind trucks for this baggage car, it's another RR's baggage car version I use with the MDC/Roundhouse trucks.