I’ve had a CV stock car kit for some time and just got around to examining it. I have heard that it is too wide and that the NPHA offers replacement ends, but I guess I am more in doubt about the sides. The cars have lettering boards reading NORTHERN PACIFIC to the left of the doors and the car number to the right. There is a rectangular lettering board with capacity, load limit and light weight over the right truck, but no board over the left. Seehttp://www.shop.cvmw.com/StockCarKit-1001.htm  This generally conforms to the equipment diagram on the NPHA web site. It also conforms to a photo of #83083 dated 7/13/47 on page 124 of “The Postwar Freight Car Fleet” by Larry Kline and Ted Culotta.

 

When did the location of reporting marks, number and capacity data over the left truck become mandatory? Are any photos of these cars with such relocated lettering available? If this arrangement was still in use in late 1952 I’m OK, but there is no reason to build an anachronism.

Alex, the location of reporting marks, numbers, and weight data above the left truck was AAR standard practice but was never mandatory, at least not in the period covered by this list, and the lettering arrangement you describe continued to be used by the NP for many years.  I have a photo of an NP stock car with that lettering arrangement dated 1974.  I’m sending you off-list a scan of a photo taken in October of 1952.

Richard Hendrickson