A "turtle" roof insert to convert an X31 to X31f from Keystone Details

[Lemosteam]

Keystone Details announces a roof insert to convert the Fine N Scale X31 double door boxcar.  Locate the roof using some pins in locator holes on the car, scribe some cut lines, make some cuts, file opening to fit, glue in place.  Once complete you will have a unique model of a unique PRR Automobile Boxcar.  Fine N Scale double door (fnr-2008) not included.  Instructions here:

The roof can be viewed and purchased from here.

[GhengisKong]

Dang, now I need to buy more X-31 cars. Great addition to your lineup, and a car I never thought I'd see.

[garethashenden]

How common were these?

[Hornwrecker]

How common were these?

690 of them, most gone by 1968.  Source:  http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=X31

[reinhardtjh]

How common were these?

690 of them, most gone by 1968.  Source:  http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=X31

To be a little more specific, all but 10 still on the roster in '63. With only 12 left at the PC merger in '68.  So nearly all were around until sometime in the '60s and then they fell through the floor.

Their total number is 690 out of about 11,000 X31 cars of various classes built.

[thomasjmdavis]

Were it not for Keystone Details announcing the part, I never would have known these cars (the -f variant) existed.  I am going to guess that at the time they were built, PRR had a customer with shipments that did not fit efficiently into an X-31, and needed something a bit taller.  Were these particular cars in some sort of captive service (as between a frame plant and auto assembly plant) or did they get around the country?

Tichy has a decal specifically listed as "X31f", but I would assume that most PRR "boxcar" decals would work, if there is a properly sized "f" on the sheet somewhere.

Between this thread and the one on MT PS-1, I am spending too much time reading and talking about boxcars and need to get back to passenger car projects.  But I wjll throw in an order for an X-31 to convert (project 1047)  when I get the round tuit for the Caswell gondolas I was planning to build (also a FNS product- my project #534).

OK, back to fire engines, Stillwell cars, and airbrushing primer on projects 17 thru 41.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Neato John!!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Were these used for autos? I'm thinking this would fit 4 full sized station wagons or suburbans.

[Tom L]

Were these used for autos? I'm thinking this would fit 4 full sized station wagons or suburbans.

I had googled these a few days ago and I found something that said they were for transporting Jeeps? I didn't save the link, but if I can find it again, I'll post it.

Here it is

http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=X31

Tom L
Wellington CO

[Lemosteam]

I had googled these a few days ago and I found something that said they were for transporting Jeeps? I didn't save the link, but if I can find it again, I'll post it.

Here it is

http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=X31

Tom L
Wellington CO

This is correct information. 

Here are some proto photos:


I sispect that after the war they continued on in Auto service based on the labeling below:

[towl1996]

Another winner!! Thanks John! I'll be getting three, since I have five X31 kits laying around.

[nickelplate759]

Anyone have a pointer to these cars in the Shadow Keystone scheme?

[Lemosteam]

Anyone have a pointer to these cars in the Shadow Keystone scheme?

@nickelplate759 , Yes, but I cannot share the picture here as I cannot credit the photo- contact me via PM.  PRR road number 81417.

[Cajonpassfan]

John, that's a great little part, popping up the roof for a very distinctive model. Do you know whether these cars ever made it to the west coast, or were they in captive service between two midwestern destinations? In my post WW2 era, I have a daily hot shot Santa Fe westbound "auto parts" train bound for LA, with a variety of automobile cars, including Pennsy cars, and this would make for a nice addition to it. Thoughts?
Regards, Otto

[robert3985]

In my prototype photos and videos of U.P. freight trains between Green River WY and Ogden UT in the late 40's and early to mid 50's, there are always lots of eastern railroad cars, Pennsy and B&O being the most prominent.  Since these were built in 1944 and there were 680 of 'em clear up through 1963, I'm going to assume that they went nation wide and they were not in captive service between two points doing Jeep deliveries for their entire 20+ years life span.  I could be wrong, but odds are that they could be seen periodically almost anywhere in the USA.

So...I'll be ordering this part also to continue to flush out my freight consists with the eastern cars so prominent in the trains of my 10 year period between 1947 to the end of 1956 on the U.P. between Evanston and Ogden.

They will certainly be an interesting addition to my several east and west bound trains running the double track mainline of Echo and Weber Canyons in the mid-50's!

Thanks John for this conversion part!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore