ESM - Limited run PS-1 40' Boxcars (Atlas) in NH and B&NL now available

[bbussey]

Arriving today is a limited run PS-1 40' boxcar we commissioned Atlas to produce, decorated in the New Haven red-orange New Image scheme.  The model is based on the lone PS-1 ever to be repainted in a New Image scheme.  Available direct only through the website at $33.95.
 
Also available are special run PS-1 40' boxcars in two schemes representing the Bridgeport & New London model railroad, a fictional subsidiary of the New Haven.  The first scheme is a new offering that is a homage to both the experimental PS-1 50' boxcar New Image checkerboard deco under consideration by the New Haven railroad until it canceled the car order, and to the vintage Atlas N scale 40' boxcar model from the late 1960s that also was based on this scheme.  The second scheme was produced in 2016 and is based on the classic script herald scheme.  Both models are available in two road numbers and now exclusively available through ESM.  The checkerboard scheme is $35.95 and the script herald scheme is $28.95.  Both schemes are available in extremely limited quantities.

The direct links to all of the models are as follows:

NH, service date 6/53 - http://www.esmc.com/2000/Item2009.html
B&NL, service dates 8/56 (checkerboard) and 12/49 (script) - http://www.esmc.com/9990/Item9991.html

[bigdawgks]

Nice, I've ordered the NH car. I need some of the red cars in my fleet and since it's been impossible to find any of the AAR cars in red (plenty of the black ones though) this should help fill the void.

I'm curious though, do you happen to know the story behind why only a single car out of the New Haven's PS-1s got repainted?

Also that checkerboard scheme does look neat.

[skm]

Awesome! Is the New Image scheme based on the pic in the Morning Sun book?

[bbussey]

No, we had higher-resolution pics that showed the smaller print more clearly.  But the pic in the Morning Sun book would be of the same car, as only one PS-1 was repainted into the red-orange New Image scheme. 

I don't know why only one was repainted, but it probably has to do with the PS-1 cars in general not requiring shop time prior to 1960.  All of the twenty PS-1 DF cars for example survived into PC with their as-built script-herald schemes intact and in excellent condition, and most survived with their original schemes into Conrail.

[Mark5]

Also available are special run PS-1 40' boxcars in two schemes representing the Bridgeport & New London model railroad, a fictional subsidiary of the New Haven.  The first scheme is a new offering that is a homage to both the experimental PS-1 50' boxcar New Image checkerboard deco under consideration by the New Haven railroad until it canceled the car order, and to the vintage Atlas N scale 40' boxcar model from the late 1960s that also was based on this scheme. 

So the scheme on the 1960s Atlas NH "checkerboard" box was based on a scheme that never happened - adding this to my trivia knowledge.  NH certainly was very creative in the box car "deco" department! 

Mark

[peteski]

So the scheme on the 1960s Atlas NH "checkerboard" box was based on a scheme that never happened - adding this to my trivia knowledge.  NH certainly was very creative in the box car "deco" department! 

Mark

B&M RR also had some creative eye-catching liveries on freight cars and locos (similar to NH) when under under McGinnes control.  Some were also one-of-a-kind.  They were probably experimenting. with some fresh (and loud) ideas.

[bbussey]

Correct, the real checkerboard scheme was proposed and scheduled for a run of single sliding door cars as part of a larger PS-1 50' boxcar order.  But NH canceled most of the order except for the plug-door cars and double-sliding-door cars.  The bulk of the canceled order was picked up by the C&O, and the order was so far along at the time of cancellation that the cars were delivered to C&O on trucks with NYNH&H cast into them.  Atlas adapted the scheme shortly thereafter for their 40' boxcar.

Agreed, hopefully Atlas will release some more B&M schemes.  They did release the blue scheme with the half-blue half-black sides.
 

[skm]

No, we had higher-resolution pics that showed the smaller print more clearly.  But the pic in the Morning Sun book would be of the same car, as only one PS-1 was repainted into the red-orange New Image scheme. 

I don't know why only one was repainted, but it probably has to do with the PS-1 cars in general not requiring shop time prior to 1960.  All of the twenty PS-1 DF cars for example survived into PC with their as-built script-herald schemes intact and in excellent condition, and most survived with their original schemes into Conrail.

Thank you Bryan, The pic in the Morning Sun book is of the same car, taken Oct. 1971, so it lasted through the PC merger. Perhaps it was shopped early after being damaged? Who knows...

[bigdawgks]

I have to say Atlas did a fine job on these cars. The detail is on par with intermountain cars. I am really looking forward to getting the as delivered and DF cars I pre-ordered. I just wish intermountain would run some more AAR cars in this scheme.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Which would be the most fun to patch "CR"?

[bbussey]

Well, in theory, some of the Checkerboard cars would survive into Conrail in their original scheme, but they would be worse for wear due to lack of maintenance during the later NH and PC eras.  Very few NH script herald boxcars survived to Conrail if any (very few existed prior to the PC merger), so theoretically none of the B&NL cars did either.

[CBQ Fan]

I am unable to get the website to come up. I have tried multiple browsers.

[bbussey]

Did you click on one of the links above? Both popped up immediately for me on my phone just now.

[CBQ Fan]

The links do not on my or my iPad.  Odd.

[nickelplate759]

The links do not on my or my iPad.  Odd.

Your browser likely blocks all sites with http:// addresses, rather than https://