Ed,

Thanks for the info.
My guess is that this car won't fit the 50's steamperiod........
Guess also is that Mick will jail me again.......

I hope not forever......
Arnold van Heyst.

--- In STMFC@..., Ed Hawkins <hawk0621@...> wrote:

On Saturday, March 18, 2006, at 11:05 AM, Arnold wrote:

In a magazine there is a photo of a GARX box car with car number 50439
and U.P. herald.
http://home.quicknet.nl/qn/prive/arnold.van.heyst/GARX.bmp

Branchline has released this (1950 build) plugdoor car,
but not with this number and herald.
http://www.branchline-trains.com/blueprint/50boxcars/50%27pdgarx/
bra_1801.jpg

Now i will like to know from what year the U.P. had this car (one of a
kind) and which decals can i use to make such a car.

Arnold,
As was mentioned by Tony, Pat Wider and I have been researching these
cars for an article in a future edition of RP CYC that will be in
excess of 40 pages long. There will be no postage-stamp sized photos!
Regarding the GARX cars leased by UP, there were 50 cars in series

GARX

50400-50449 built 3-55. As a genera rule, General American set up

these

cars with 10-year leases, however, there may have been some exceptions
to that rule and two railroads purchased their cars in 1960 (5 years
from the time the cars were new and when the leases were originated).
These are the only two known changes occurring in 1960 and, of course,
the STMFC doesn't cover events past this date.

Based on photographic evidence, some cars received the UP emblem and
others did not. A color photo of GARX 50420, available from Bob's
Photo, shows a brand new car leased to UP but it lacks the UP emblem.
The railroad may have applied the emblems over time. In circa May

1960,

UP bought the cars from General American and renumbered them to UP
499700-499749. A color photo of UP 499724 appears on page 19 of the
Union Pacific Color Guide Volume 2 by Morning Sun Books. T&P was the
only other railroad that bought their leased cars in 1960.

There were several groups of these 50' insulated box cars with the
earliest built by Greenville Steel Car Co. in 2-54 (80 cars).
Greenville also built 25 cars that were 40' long. It is not clear why
Greenville built these cars that went to General American's lease
fleet, however, General American was busy at this time setting up

their

production line for producing Airslide covered hopper cars. General
American built nearly 1,000 of these 50' GARX cars between 3-55 and
9-59. They were leased to at least 14 railroads, many of which had
their road names or slogans applied to the right-hand side of the

door.

From all appearances there were numerous cars that lacked any

railroad

stencils other than a small placard that stated the lessee name.

All the GARX cars built 1954-1957 came with Duryea underframes and

rode

on Chrysler trucks, like the GAEX 50' box cars with sliding doors. The
Branchline Trains kit provides a normal A.A.R. style underframe that

is

incorrect for these cars and I'm not aware of any commercially
available Chrysler trucks in HO scale. Jack Spencer received a set of
plans for the Duryea underframe and scratch-built one for a model
(leased to SP) that has been displayed at Naperville and Collinsville.
He also scratch-built a pair of Chrysler trucks that look fabulous.
Photos of Jack's model will also be shown in the RP CYC article.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins

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