Hello all... I've been trying to model ATSF's Fast Mail in N scale...trying to acquire and/or model any car that would find it's way into a representative consist during 1957. This pic was sent to me over a year ago, and I revisited it when I acquired the Stagner books... apart from the very neat locomotive consist, the first car jumped out at me; perhaps because of Bill Denton's recent, beautiful releases of various converted troop sleepers, based on the MT car. am I seeing a converted troop sleeper?...is it an Erie car?...or something else entirely? ~Bruce
hard to tell, but from a use of the googles...it looks like the Erie did have troop cars, but all I could find had windows
My best guess it's a converted Erie milk car; when railroad milk traffic started dying off, many of these were rebuilt for express service. This looks like number 23, the Grand Canyon westbound, entering the "short way" onto the Third District in San Bdno on its way to LA. Could be the Fast Mail, but the Eriebuilts don't look right for it and it wasn't due in San Bdno until after 5pm whereas this looks like a late morning photo when the Grand Canyons came through Regards, Otto
Not that I have any head knowledge about these type of cars. However, my research and knowledge would have me in agreement with Otto. Also in agreement that this is the Grand Canyon. At one point or better said at the time this picture was taken. The railroads were pressing everything they could get their hands on into mail storage cars. I can't find it right know but I have lifted a picture of two 50' Santa Fe Reefers being loaded with Christmas mail in San Berdu. The advent of freeways, trucks and airlines was becoming a very real threat. Competition and bids for hauling the mail was catching on in Washington, DC. Freeways, under the direction of Eisenhower started crisscrossing America and the railroads were on notice. Of course we all know the rest of that history lesson. Safe to say mail delivery hasn't been the same since. On one other note the Santa Fe Green Express cars with the large Santa Fe Herald were also pushed into service toward the last few years of Santa Fe's mail carrying reign. I have video, either Smiley's or Pentrex's, of the fast mail coming through Cajon/Summit, with such on board. Bruce, As always, I'm tuned in here to your work and ever appreciative of your efforts. Looking mighty fine. A sort of surprise to me is the Erie Built's, AB units and one lone PA, A unit on the point. Nice capture by whoever took this.
Thanks guys... I'll start looking with the milk cars in mind... Otto, you had originally sent me this one, I saw the pic, again, in Stagner's "Santa Fe in Color-Albuquerque to Los Angeles"...where they caption it as the Fast Mail...(I don't trust the accuracy of a number of the captions in this series...one of the pics taken at Pine Lodge clearly show a train working upgrade on the eastbound track-Sullivan's Curve is clearly visible in the distance, yet the caption reads a freight drifting down the 3% grade....) Thanks again, ~Bruce PS a cursory search online reveals very few sources of Erie decals in N scale....
Not to hijack the thread BUT look at the motive power on this train, an Alco PA trailing2/s's of the FM Erie-Built A-B-A set. There was a long thread on these locos several years ago and how they most likely did not run with other power. BTW, the car in question looks to low in overall height to be an ex-troop sleeper to me.
Those Erie cars were based on the 1932 AAR box cars, so if you wanted to model this you could start with the Atlas car and modify the door area.
Paul, I appreciate this info!...I was going to spend a littlew time today, searching for candidates!...apart from adding steam lines and all the items necessary for express service(perhaps different trucks), the door mod seems very simple! I'll have to further investigate roof detail...both for the milk cars, and how they may have been modified, if at all... Thanks, ~Bruce
There's really only one candidate, the Atlas 1932 Erie version - the one w/ Buckeye ends. IFAIK, Erie was the only road to have that particular car end. It's amazing that Atlas did it. As for trucks, you're probably looking at the trucks off the Athearn Pfaudler Milk car (you may want to confirm the wheel base). You can get them from Athearn but with shipping it's like $17. I found the whole car on Amazon for that price. A couple issues with the trucks is that the bolster is flush to the top so getting the car to sit at the right height may take some work. Also, Athearn uses a different mounting system than most other companies but it can be worked around. Jason
I wish. Apart from being an older style, the Roundhouse trucks have an 8' wheel base where the Pfaudler trucks are 7'. If you look at Mark's site at the turcks - http://www.spookshow.net/trucks/cwexpress.html The top picture is the old Roundhouse truck. The second two pictures are the milk car trucks. Jason
Ok...learning something new everyday...! These are the trucks on all my MDC/Athearn 50' wood on steel frame express reefers... http://www.spookshow.net/trucks/psriveted4.html I'm using these on my ATSF heavyweight RPO's, built from M&R sides....(IMO, the WOT versions still make these cars sit too high, even with modification...I'll save my WOT trucks for other 2 axle heavyweights)... NOW....I'm going to have to review pics of REA wood on steel express reefers to determine what type of trucks they should have in the 50's!...then...do what I can to acquire the correct ones if these are incorrect.... Regardless...I love having another head end car to model for the Fast Mail...AND one that won't require ridiculous amounts of work! Thanks again, ~Bruce
Yep, my bad. I should have actually gone and looked at mine. I have the ones you showed, but what I said about them should still be true. I wonder what that one is in the first picture then? edit: I just measured the Athearn Phaudler truck and the wheel base is about 6' 8". Jason
so where does one find this car?...the 40' 1932 AAR car wih 'buck-eye' ends (forgive me, I'm not familiar with the nomenclature) ~Bruce
"would those be the same trucks off the MDC/Roundhouse/Athearn express reefers?..." No. AFAIK there is not a match for these trucks in N-scale... http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tubbs/ErieLackawanna/Passenger70.jpg http://rr-fallenflags.org/el/pax/erie-bm6659aag.jpg
If you can , try and find the undec version. 50 000 151 Undecorated Body Style #4 (“Short tab” Body, Viking corrugated roof, Buckeye ends) Otherwise I believe these cars will be correct but will have the details attached. 50 000 154 Erie (1932) (Brown/White) 76944 50 000 155 Erie (1932) (Brown/White) 76949 50 000 156 Erie (1947) (Brown/White) 76500 50 000 157 Erie (1947) (Brown/White) 76599 If you don't have any luck I may have bought one for later use that I could let go. Jason
No, not exact but the Athearn truck give the right look. PRR 2d-p5 truck might be able to be modified to something close as well. Both images courtesy Spookshow. Jason
You may want to contact Bryan at Eastern Seaboard Models. He has built these cars: https://picasaweb.google.com/101225796997647162803/ErieBMMilkCarsInN?noredirect=1
