Atlas or MTL NWP billboard lettering box proven as real .........confusing

[up1950s]

For many years I was searching for the existence of NWP box cars printed like the billboard lettered caboose or cabooses they had . I emailed their historical society some years ago , bought a book , and inquired on this forum . Nobody thought  they did or didn't know . I was left a wanting  , disappointed man . Now I see Westerfield , the un-arguably best accurate prototype manufacturer in all of USA model trains has one for sale , in HO . If Westerfield did one it had to exist . How many and what numbers I don't know . But I would bet the Westerfield model is correct .

Unfortunately my shrink from HO to N machine needs inventing . So here's my hope , Atlas or MTL will see this and take advantage of the only scheme that screams out  NORTH WESTERN PACIFIC that can be read from across the room .





Found this too

[johnb]

Do they have a prototype picture?

[up1950s]

I don't know and the only thing I can find is a MOW wood box with a small w in Western that has billboard lettering .

[jagged ben]

Well, I will follow anything NWP related.

[nkalanaga]

Have you tried Clover House?  They make a LOT of dry transfers for old and obscure schemes.

[up1950s]

Have you tried Clover House?  They make a LOT of dry transfers for old and obscure schemes.

Thanks but I really want the quality that only pad printing can do . Actually the scheme is not that old at least to me , 50's era . These were repaints on old boxes .

[Atlas Paul]

Atlas O did that scheme  http://archive.atlasrr.com/Images/ORS/usrads/1211/8348-2_TQ.jpg  There is a photo of the prototype in Southern Pacific Freight Cars Volume 4 by Anthony Thompson on page 185, and the caption states the carbody is painted BLACK.

[up1950s]

Atlas O did that scheme  http://archive.atlasrr.com/Images/ORS/usrads/1211/8348-2_TQ.jpg  There is a photo of the prototype in Southern Pacific Freight Cars Volume 4 by Anthony Thompson on page 185, and the caption states the carbody is painted BLACK.

Thanks so much Paul .

edit .... I ordered that book .

[Atlas Paul]

Thanks so much Paul .

It was actually done in N scale as well.

http://archive.atlasrr.com/Images/NFreightCars/nusrads/1013/50001486_TQ.jpg

[up1950s]

I must have one then in one of my drawers . I wasn't sure if the color of the logo and the black was correct . So glad to know for sure Paul , and a reference to the prototype is the icing on the cake . Makes me wonder of their other boxcars and schemes , and how many cars they did like yours .

[JMaurer1]

Sorry I'm late to the party or I would have answered sooner.

Most of the NWP boxcar lettering styles have been done in N scale, usually with info provided by ME (patting myself on the back).

All cars are 40' double sheathed USRA single door boxcars (NWP received 100 of these in November of 1919)

Northwestern Pacific spelled out on BCR boxcar (Atlas NWP 1970 & 1973)
NWP on BCR boxcar (not available in N)
'Store Door' pullman green overnight boxcar 1939(Micro Trains NWP 1934 & 1946)
'Overnight' black boxcar (Micro Trains NWP 1952 & 1953 and )
Billboard black boxcar (Atlas NWP 1946 & 1984)

Only 22 (? I would need to check to verify as I'm quoting this off the top of my head) boxcars ever were converted to 'store door' service. They received steam pipes so they could be moved in passenger trains. This was done to compete with the P&SR overnight service (eventually P&SR lettered ALL of their boxcars as overnight). The 'store door' cars were later painted in the black 'Redwood Empire Overnight' paint.

The BCR Westerfield kit is WRONG. When the NWP discontinued the Overnight service, they painted the black boxcars with the billboard paint scheme. Train Miniatures originally came out with the BCR version and Walthers followed suit and continued the same mistake (in HO). I had some of all of them when I was in HO. There is one B&W photo of NWP MW 424 that has the billboard lettering on the left and nothing on the right (not even dimi data) that MAY be BCR but in black and white it's not easy to tell.

The only other NWP rolling stock (that I can recall off the top of my head) are 6 MW cars by Aztec lettered NWP but on SP PS-1 style steel boxcars - NWP MW 700, 702, 714, 705, 706, and 708

Red Caboose was going to do the 42' flat in NWP but never released them. MT could do the caboose since their wood caboose (both styles) are correct for the NWP but I haven't been able to convince them to do it yet. Contact me if you want more info.

[up1950s]

Wow , Westerfield is wrong , that's a first for me . Thank you so much for all this info . Wish you would write a pamphlet on all you know about the NWP and sell them for 30 bucks or so . There is a void of info on the NWP and it is you that has so many missing pieces . God forbid something hits you in the head like a comet and you no longer can recall this info . They are calling the Snow Leopard an endangered species , you Sir are a one of a kind . Thank you for taking the time to clear this up for me and others .

edit....  is there a list of ranges of lettering types by date ? Like did they all get the black with billboard lettering , and starting when ?

[bbussey]

It was actually done in N scale as well.

http://archive.atlasrr.com/Images/NFreightCars/nusrads/1013/50001486_TQ.jpg

Hmmm, I will have to hunt down one of those.

[johnb]

Hmmm, I will have to hunt down one of those.

or beg MTL...

[bbussey]

I bought the MTL version back in the day, but the Atlas scheme fits my timeframe better. I tracked one down.