I thought about just mailing my friends on this ? but I am fairly confident that the boxcar that sat in the yard near to where the SW8 Yreka Western 20 used to be - was a Missouri Pacific road boxcar and so wondering if any one can can give me any further info. A model I have available in HO is an E&C shops kit PS-1 single door M.P. 366159 The only pics I have only just allowed me to make out it was MP I would be interested in any other info on stock for my shortline that I am just starting too particularly the tanks that used to bring gas to Suburban Propane just south of Yreka depot Thanks Friends
Hello! Nice to see some interest in American lines from modelers from across the pond. The tank cars you are refering to are, I believe, Suburban Propane's ACF 33,000 Gallon Tank Cars (however, I'm not quite sure if they were used in the area). Here's what they look like. Depending on the scale you are modeling, Atlas has a wonderful model of this car in O, HO and N (the N Scale version is shown here). I'm curious as to what era of the YWRR you are modeling, as the motive power for the line has varied over the years.
I can't give you any specific information about the MP boxcar, other than it had been sitting there for many years. It had been wrecked and had no brakes, etc. It was salvaged several years ago as was the #20.
Oops! I was thinking about an old Yreka Western blue box with the above. Sorry about that. I believe the MP box car is the one Mr. Hammond had cut down and converted into an open car. I don't know where it is right now, perhaps sitting on the rails somewhere near Montague with some other cars that are no longer at the Yreka yard. It was painted blue the last time I saw it.
Thanks Bill I will watch out for at least 1 maybe 2 of these but I havent ever seen this model in the UK. There is a photo of the Suburban Propane Spur with #19 (Baldwin Mickado) switching on page 94 of Matt Starman & Tim Stricker's book YWR and the tanks look similar with full length walkways although the first tank looks to be black but the second one looks lighter. Era well thats a tricky subject because of the book (also have The Western Railroader booklet from September 1960) I tend to collect what models I have seen pics of but arent super pedantic that everything has to be super accurate so I have collected items that go back to the start an example is for #1 I have the Bachmann Spectrum 060 Saddle tank (#1 was actually a 242 saddle tank) Bachmann USA models are quite easy to obtain here in the UK and at what I think is a reasonable cost eg. The 280's that I have used for 18 & 19 come with DCC sound and can be bought for about $195 on eBay. I of course got GWH YW 1172 the blue Alco S4 and am just about to convert that to DCC sound with the MRC drop in decoder another easy loco is the other Alco S4 the UP liveried 1171 Bachmann have recently released this as 1156. I have got other locos from eBay when I see them including the 3 SW9's (602 20 & 21) and the 2 S1's (603 & 604) and the SD9 (439) all these are P2K. I do have a wish list too YW had some Hiawatha cars and I know Walthers did these. Also I have an idea on how to model the Alco MRS1 (244) There is a Spanish RENFE Alco available in HO that looks quite similar to an MRS1 now theres a project! I am thinking about Proto - freelancing as well by extending my layout with the unsuccessful Scott Valley extension all the way to Happy Camp on the Klammath River. I will keep you informed on my progress.
Thanks Bill I saw that open boxcar painted blue in 2010 when I visited but that appeared to have the outside box bracing. I think the best photo I saw of the MP car was 1 of yours that used to be on Trainboard in front of 20 and I have seen others taken over the years but all give just a glimpse with a smattering of the all to usual awful graffitti. I have seen pics of the blue one without the doors too I think this was the one that Golden West Hobbies got the paint sample from for the Alco S-4 model of 1172 Hoping that next time you have time when in Yreka you could perhaps give an update of the situation
Oops! again although the boxcar appears behind #20 in i think one of your pics its more recognisable as MP in John Barnhill's pic of 9-3-2005 studying other pics I see the MP box on its side in another one of John's dated 06-12-2010 "Dang I missed seeing this by just a matter of a few months when I visited in late 2010". I am sure it was there prior to March 2004 so it had been sat there over 6 years
I did some searching about and can finally put a cap on this one Robert Morris has some superb photo's on the internet including this one of the boxcar: http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/ywd47.html and this one nearly gives me the number MP 36659?: http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/cyws37.html I also notice that he photo'd a Tank that looks like the ones at Suburban Propane: http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/ywd109.html So I am quite chuffed pardon the pun
Yes ... the first one captured the MP. It's sad to think about all of the rolling stock in that photo are gone now. Even all the rail is gone! The second photo shows me hanging out of the window while pulling diesel #239 back into the house track. Third photo is taking a LPG car to Yreka to spot on the Suburban Propane siding.
Yes, John. The 20 has been gone for over a year. All of the rail between the Siskiyou County Fairgrounds to the depot has been taken up and scrapped, with exception of the main and lead to the engine house/shop. All run-arounds and sidings between Yreka and Montague are also scrapped out. The MRS-1 #244 has also been scrapped. I have one of the number boards from it converted as a TV light in my family room. I have no idea what the fate is for #21 and as I understand, there has been a judgement against the YWRR about the 19. But I'm not sure how that is going to work for the YW.
