D&RGW FMC 4700 cu ft covered hopper info

[bman]

Looking at back issues over on the Trainlife website I ran across an article from the May 1988 issue of Model Railroading on FMC 4700 cu ft covered hoppers and it states that D&RGW received 70 ove these in 1973 in the number series 156600-15669 and they were gray in color. I have done the whole internet search thing and did not see photos in gray only orange. Of course there are N and HO models of the FMC in D&RGW D&RGW orange scheme. I have several of the undec FMC's from Fox Valley with the idea of painting them into a scheme from the mid 1970's for my home layout and decals for D&RGW covered hoppers are available from Microscale. Can anyone confirm if these were gray or orange when delivered? Thanks

[Mark5]

I would speculate that this is the "as built" scheme, given that:

• They were built in 1973
• it has an ACI label, which stopped being used 4 or 5 yrs later

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=drgw15624&o=drgw

Mark

[sirenwerks]

Looking at back issues over on the Trainlife website I ran across an article from the May 1988 issue of Model Railroading on FMC 4700 cu ft covered homers and it states that D&RGW received 70 ove these in 1973 in the number series 156600-15669 and they were gray in color. I have done the whole internet search thing and did not see photos in gray only orange. Of course there are N and HO models of the FMC in D&RGW D&RGW orange scheme. I have several of the undec FMC's from Fox Valley with the idea of painting them into a scheme from the mid 1970's for my home layout and decals for D&RGW covered hoppers are available from Microscale. Can anyone confirm if these were gray or orange when delivered? Thanks

I have 3 of them already painted in the DRGW if you're interested, they're just not the Fox Valley version.

[nscalbitz]

Hi
A little help I can offer- your numbers are a bit off 
Data ex-drgw Hist;

15600-15669    198    LO    53-06    4700    FMC P    10=11-    73    .    Grain, Minerals*    Athearn, old MDC    Red Caboose #15210;old Precision Masters    4    3 bay, trough hatch, grav    *Perlite (loads)

The '4' represents the colour scheme= 4. Orange, black stacked Rio Grande, 1971-on. Source is expert Jim Eager.
They were never in gray, but there may have been ex series sourced elsewhere, I'll look it up if someone doesn't beat me to it,
regards dave 

[cv_acr]

I would speculate that this is the "as built" scheme, given that:

• They were built in 1973
• it has an ACI label, which stopped being used 4 or 5 yrs later

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=drgw15624&o=drgw

Mark

Single panel pre-1974 consolidated stencil. That's factory paint.

[cv_acr]

Hi
A little help I can offer- your numbers are a bit off 
Data ex-drgw Hist;

15600-15669    198    LO    53-06    4700    FMC P    10=11-    73    .    Grain, Minerals*    Athearn, old MDC    Red Caboose #15210;old Precision Masters    4    3 bay, trough hatch, grav    *Perlite (loads)

The '4' represents the colour scheme= 4. Orange, black stacked Rio Grande, 1971-on. Source is expert Jim Eager.
They were never in gray, but there may have been ex series sourced elsewhere, I'll look it up if someone doesn't beat me to it,
regards dave 

That doesn't say "gray" at the end of the line, it says "grav" as in straight-dump gravity outlets. Maybe someone mistranslated a similar source of information for that article.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Perlite. Huh. Whaddya know?

I find this interesting because I had an industry served of of York on the Windsor St layout called "Penn Perlite".

I used to send those three bay PS2s that I had so many of down to it. I guess I wasn't that far off.

BTW, in case anyone is interested, this is what a Perlite Plant looks like.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9890573,-76.6346039,3a,31.3y,91.25h,96.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPYqNf1IeJZWOv3YeMxzn8A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[nscalbitz]

That doesn't say "gray" at the end of the line, it says "grav" as in straight-dump gravity outlets. Maybe someone mistranslated a similar source of information for that article.

Dont understand your point.
It is clearly stating ORANGE PAINTWORK and those are the technical facts- however abbreviated by the OP.
Thay was the question being answered. THERE WERE NO GREY/ GRAY in that series as purchased, and the DRGW sure as hell dint waste money repainting new equipment.

[bman]

I believe he is referring to the author of the article I referenced possibly reading "grav" as "gray" when writing the piece indicating the hoppers were gray.

Thanks for the offer Sirenwerks I will think about it.

Ed, that scene begs to be modeled. I happen to have some leftover Rix Products elevator part and a tub of Evergreen styrene products.

Thanks for the help everyone. I appreciate the quick responses.

[cv_acr]

I believe he is referring to the author of the article I referenced possibly reading "grav" as "gray" when writing the piece indicating the hoppers were gray.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Not sure how else they would have gotten "gray paint" information when that's clearly not the case unless they misinterpreted a similar (or the exact same) source of data.

Sorry if my quoting the whole post or ambiguous wording implied I was saying that you were saying something you weren't saying nscalebitz.

[Mark5]

Single panel pre-1974 consolidated stencil. That's factory paint.

Yeah, so you agree.