298 Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Bear with me for this: Β Going back a few years, it was a thing for HO model railroaders to interchange cars between layouts, complete with the relevant paperwork and sometimes by posting them across the states, and it could take several years for members to get their cars back after being interchanged between layouts. Β Now I'm not proposing the same thing, but after seeing one of Robatron's videos I realised that we both have an Athearn blue box UPFE reefer, no.460135. This was my first US railroad car twenty years ago and already from a past time when Athearn hadn't quite learnt to change numbers during the tampo printing process.Β Β So what I was initially wondering is what car numbers are popular and that you've seen used on other layouts...? They don't necessarily have to be blue box Athearn but probably still in use from the era when manufacturers didn't produce as many number variations... Β For starters I'd nominate 57' Reefers UPFE 460135 and PFE 457603.Β 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 Dear RMWebbers, Β Surely it's gotta be a Railbox boxcar? Both "common as mud" on the prototype, and a scheme painted on every "modernish" boxcar model produced over the last 3 decades? Β Also, unlike a dedicated/captive/specific-service reefer, a plausible "mis-switch"/"mis-routing" candidate that could appear on Any RR at Any time... Β Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 Β This is a UK forum for UK people. They are not cars, they are wagons, cars run on the road. Β Mike. Hat, coat and speedy exit! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 13 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said: This is a UK forum for UK people Says who, exactly???? Β Β Β 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Keith Addenbrooke Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2021 The βState of Maineβ 40β boxcars in aΒ red, white and blue striped paint schemeΒ (Bangor and Aroostock?) would be my nomination, perhaps for HO layouts set slightly before the ubiquitous Railbox era. Β Seem to see a lot of them in layout articles. Β That said, I donβt have one myself to photo, but my Dad does on his layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Parker Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 2 hours ago, F-UnitMad said: Says who, exactly???? Β Β Β Β Says no one. It's a worldwide forum for everyone. Even Great Western modellers.Β 1 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 2 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said: The βState of Maineβ 40β boxcars in aΒ red, white and blue striped paint schemeΒ (Bangor and Aroostock?) would be my nomination, perhaps for HO layouts set slightly before the ubiquitous Railbox era. Β Seem to see a lot of them in layout articles. Β That said, I donβt have one myself to photo, but my Dad does on his layout. I think these might often have been full of potatoes? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: I think these might often have been full of potatoes? Not necessarily, BAR shipped had quite a large heater equipped reefer fleet for potatoes in winter and lease to other roads in summer which dovetails with the Profβs post - BAR reefer in sunny California?. Β I think theΒ State of Maine cars wereΒ often used in paper service and really did get everywhere. Β Edited April 29, 2021 by doctor quinn Spellcheck 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 @298 It really does get everywhere.Β Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Patrick SPF Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2021 The PRR X29 and the NYC USRA Steel box the sheer numbers of cars and the location and size of the roads meant they got everywhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: This is a UK forum for UK people. They are not cars, they are wagons, cars run on the road. What about 2-car DMUs, etc? 4 hours ago, F-UnitMad said: Says who, exactly???? Β Β Β Β 1 hour ago, Phil Parker said: Β Says no one. It's a worldwide forum for everyone. Even Great Western modellers.Β Β Mike, Β I got the joke - which means I know that you meant the exact opposite. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 53 minutes ago, Patrick SPF said: The PRR X29 and the NYC USRA Steel box the sheer numbers of cars and the location and size of the roads meant they got everywhere. The OP was about specific car numbers, not types of car. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Regularity said: What about 2-car DMUs, etc? Β Where does car come into DMU?!!! Β Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 Single-car dmu, 2-car dmu, 3-car dmu, 4-car dmu, etc. Standard terminology, presumably and abbreviation of "carriage", which is where I presume we get "car" for automobile, a shortening of "motor carriage"? (In France, "autocar", or just "car", is used to refer to a motor coach.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdvle Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 3 hours ago, Patrick SPF said: The PRR X29 and the NYC USRA Steel box the sheer numbers of cars and the location and size of the roads meant they got everywhere. Β Thanks to the virtual presentations on the Hindsight RPM I initially thought the same thing for the steam/transition era - as you note those railroads had massive fleets of cars, and many of those cars did travel around the US and Canada. Β But then I reconsidered based on the original query - same roadnumber, a byproduct of the past where manufacturers never changed their artwork between runs. Β Which brings 2 things into play. Β First, the PRR X29 has only ever been done rtr by Red Caboose (now part of Intermountain) - a niche vendor whose product wouldn't have sold in the same numbers as an Athearn, LIfeLike, Bachmann, Tyco, etc. Β But more importantly, it is based on a prototypical modeler of the 2000's mindset on the choice - and that really didn't apply to almost anyone in the heyday of the Athearn blue box product or even to 80% of the people in the hobby today. Β Which means it is more likely to be a product that isn't a railroad (the Railbox as suggested by the Prof) or the State of Maine boxcars - which both have the advantage of being visually interesting and thus something to be an impulse purchase at the hobby shop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Patrick SPF Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2021 Actually TM, TMI and now Walthers to a "trainset" version of the X29 which is not too bad. The "State of Maine" cars are a group of cars specific to the BAR, so also if it is a specific single vehicle we are looking for would fail, though their paint job does encourage modellers to buy them... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 5 hours ago, Phil Parker said: Β Says no one. It's a worldwide forum for everyone. Even Great Western modellers.Β Β https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway_of_Colorado 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 3 hours ago, Regularity said: I got the joke - which means I know that you meant the exact opposite. So did I Β especially as a 'speedy exit' was also mentioned, but two can play at stirring things. Β 2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Β Where does car come into DMU?!!! Β Mike. Looking for the "well, du-uuh...." smileyΒ Β Β Β Β Β Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2021 2 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said: So did I Β especially as a 'speedy exit' was also mentioned, but two can play at stirring things. I know you did, but I wasn't sure about someone else... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Keith Addenbrooke Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2021 15 minutes ago, Patrick SPF said: Actually TM, TMI and now Walthers to a "trainset" version of the X29 which is not too bad. The "State of Maine" cars are a group of cars specific to the BAR, so also if it is a specific single vehicle we are looking for would fail, though their paint job does encourage modellers to buy them... Iβve had a bit of time this afternoon to check and there are multiple product runs / variations available for the βState of Maineβ car I suggested this morning so, as Patrick and others have noted, its ubiquityΒ willΒ not be quite in line with the rules of the game. Β (I had the experience with my OO UK collectionΒ at one time of havingΒ two different locomotives of different classes but with the same running number, but that would be another game) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2021 9 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Β This is a UK forum for UK people. They are not cars, they are wagons, cars run on the road. Β Mike. Hat, coat and speedy exit! Tell that to TfL, their's run on 4 rail electrified tracks 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) 29 minutes ago, 298 said: Β https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway_of_Colorado But they don't have a copper capped chimney..... Β Β .....and they certainly weren't painted green when I was there in 1999 !Β (think they were yellow before the orange scheme as I've got one of their callendars somewhere....) Β Β Edited April 29, 2021 by Johann Marsbar 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 11 hours ago, Prof Klyzlr said: Dear RMWebbers, Β Surely it's gotta be a Railbox boxcar? Both "common as mud" on the prototype, and a scheme painted on every "modernish" boxcar model produced over the last 3 decades? Β Also, unlike a dedicated/captive/specific-service reefer, a plausible "mis-switch"/"mis-routing" candidate that could appear on Any RR at Any time... Β Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Β ...and you know where I can run Railbox boxcars. But unfortunately in terms of this game I am unable to check the running number of the Athearn BB car I have, as only one end now exists as a stubby space-filler in the end of Blue Heron... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, Robatron86 said: @298 It really does get everywhere.Β Β Now passing through Blue Heron... Β Edited April 29, 2021 by 298 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 2 hours ago, Patrick SPF said: Actually TM, TMI and now Walthers to a "trainset" version of the X29 which is not too bad. The "State of Maine" cars are a group of cars specific to the BAR, so also if it is a specific single vehicle we are looking for would fail, though their paint job does encourage modellers to buy them... Β BAR 5226 seems that be a popular number judging by a quick look at past eBay auctions, and may have been covered by more than one manufacturer. So, are there any out there...? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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