Bob Chaparro wrote: Can anyone see whose flat cars they are? I can't read any of the cars. Tony Thompson tony@...

Curt Fortenberry wrote: Thanks, Curt, exactly what was needed. These characters DO NOT match the MCB-ARA-AAR letters. The "M" in particular is much more condensed. One would need to look at the drawin

Charlie Vlk wrote: I have seen one reference to "AAR Manual" for the complete character set drawing. I have never seen any edition of the Manual, but Guy Wilber may have one -- or know of one. Tony Th

Charlie Vlk wrote: For those who may not have seen it, I provide below a link to the blog post that Charlie cites in his message: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2019/12/prototype-lettering-part-2.

I've just posted to my blog a short description of this year's Cocoa Beach meeting, as I experienced it. If you went, you may find it brings back a memory or two; if you didn't go, this might motivate

Jason Kliewer wrote: If this car is anything like the SP version, there are good interior photos in my volume on SP flat cars, Vol. 3 of the series, _Southern Pacific Freight Cars_ that was published

#801-815

Clark Propst wrote: Clark, I will send you a photo off-list. When built, they would have had just initials inside the stripes, but by the 1950s would have been repainted, doubtless with the spelled-ou

In the early 20th century, there were cars called "hopper-bottom gondolas," that had modest amounts of slope sheets to help most of the cargo depart through the doors. In later years, the hopper defin

Bob Webber wrote: Comments about abuse of licensing and permission are quite correct. But I think Bob is wrong about what institutions "are going to do." In fact, my impression is that many institutio

Garth Groff wrote: Sometimes when a photo like this, of the shady side of a car, doesn't have all the detail you wished it did, the lab would "improve" it for you. Both the trucks and the rivet rows c

Not that the load rests on both end flat cars between 4 and 5 stake pockets from the end. As Bruce Smith mentioned, this is doubtless the preferred loading point. Tony Thompson tony@...

Tom Maddenwrote (in part): This reminds of what printers used to say to publishers, who naturally wanted the very best deal in every dimension: "Quality, speed, price. Take your pick." Tony Thompson t

Dennis Storzek wrote: Nor are they hoppers . . . <g> Tony Thompson tony@...

Garth Groff wrote: Like many of the very earliest steel gondolas, this car lacks a substantial top chord as well as a side sill. I would guess they readily buckled if overloaded, as did many of these

Shouldna typed so fast. Obviously it is the letters and border that are orange, and the background black. Sheesh. Tony Thompson tony@...

Bill Welch wrote: Background color was an orangish-yellow, as Norm Buckhart showed. This has been done in bright yellow by some manufacturers (incorrectly), but was once done right by Walthers in HO s

Allen Cain wrote: Yes, most express cars were operated by the REA as a pool, so cars certainly went off-line, though their owners were supposed to maintain and repair them. That of course would mean t

Garth Groff awrote: Some years ago I was discussing these cars with someone I believe is knowledgeable about WP modeling (might have been John Ryczkowski) and he mentioned steel outside roofs being ap

Corey Bonsall wrote: Doggonit, Corey! Now I have no excuse not to have accurate UCR cars!! But great choice, and I will look forward to seeing one of these. Tony Thompson tony@...

Tim O'Connor wrote: PFE paint faded to a pretty definite yellow. Tony