UPDATE! After much discussion between freight car historians at the New York Central System Historical Society, we are adding the black background to the NYC oval logo on our Big Four-NYC hoppers. We are also adding the S- prefix to the road numbers. The meaning of the S- is the subject of some debate. The leading theory is that it was a signal to NYC System freight agents that despite the CCC&StL (or MC, T&OC, B&A, etc.) reporting marks, the car is part of the greater New York Central System and need not be sent "home" when empty when the car is already on another System line or be accounted for as a foreign car rental. The competing theory is that the S- is a signal to car shop crews regarding limits on the car's repair budget. Check out the revised artwork here: http://www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_031.htm Craig Bluford Shops
Doesn't adding the "S" prefix essentially restrict the operational time period for the car to the decade from the early '20's to the early '30's? Do you have any photos you can post/share showing such a car with a red body and black herald?
All of the photos of the Big Four hoppers are black and white so the colors provided by the New York Central System Historical Society are based on company records. IIRC, NYC stopped adding the S- around 1930-ish but one would assume cars carried that lettering until they were rebuilt and repainted. We have announced Undecorated versions (#60000) and are taking pre-orders on them now. I expect we will include dimi-data black hoppers in the next announcement. Craig Bluford Shops www.bluford-shops.com
Related to the couplers question... I uncouple over a track magnet. Will the FVM wheels be a problem? In the past my metal-axled cars scooted over to center on the magnet and I had to replace them with plastic.
