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Timken Freight Cars
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Bob Lucas <robertelucas@...>
In 1943, Timken (Roller Bearing Div.) acquired one 40' boxcar and 25
gondola bodies from ACF. I'm hoping to unravel the rather elusive histories of these freight cars. When built, Ed Hawkins confirmed the sole boxcar was numbered TRBX #300, painted brown with white lettering. There was also TRBX #88 (maybe the reincarnated #300?) with inboard bearing highspeed trucks. A photo shows TRBX #88 in "History of American Railroads" scheme (sponsored by ATSF?). Timken reported displayed a colorful box at the 1949 Chicago Railroad Expo (familiar yellow scheme) in an effort to promote their roller bearings. Next, a Timken boxcar became AC&Y #600 and together with a single gondola, AC&Y #1500, were leased by AC&Y from 1950 to 1958 – perhaps as a joint promotional endeavor (AC&Y a preferential customer and early user of Timken bearings). The cars appeared in two colorful schemes on the AC&Y. I have posted photos on the STMFC (overflow) site. What is pecularly odd is that not one in-service photo has appeared, despite that both Timken AC&Y cars reported served in normal freight service throughout the 1950's. The other 24 gondolas may have been assigned to the Timken Works in Canton, OH? Additional information is most appreciated. Bob Lucas |
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Jon Miller <atsf@...>
Early Athearn (Globe?) steel/brass sides boxcars kits had a colorful
silver and blue (I think, maybe others) Timken box car. While I know the car was probably not correct did they just invent the colors or were they copied from something? Jon Miller AT&SF For me time has stopped in 1941 Digitrax, Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI user NMRA Life member #2623 Member SFRH&MS |
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Bob Lucas <robertelucas@...>
Jon,
I also posted the Athearn Timken boxcar ad that appeared in the March 1949 Model Railroader - the silver and blue scheme was offered with a caption saying these were authentic reproductions of the Timken cars that appeared at the Chicago Railroad Fair. Bob --- In STMFC@..., "Jon Miller" <atsf@i...> wrote: Early Athearn (Globe?) steel/brass sides boxcars kits had acolorful silver and blue (I think, maybe others) Timken box car. While Iknow the car was probably not correct did they just invent the colors orwere they copied from something? |
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Richard Brennan <brennan8@...>
Direct Link to Bob Lucas' Timken Car photos is:
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<http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/stmfph/lst?.dir=/Timken+Freight+Cars> Unfortunately... these are the itsy-bitsy-teeny-weenie (i.e. 16Kb - 30Kb) versions that result from posting in "Photos" instead of "Files"... <hint...> =============================== Richard Brennan - San Leandro, CA =============================== At 02:19 PM 3/27/2005, Bob Lucas wrote:
I also posted the Athearn Timken boxcar ad that appeared in the March |
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Tom Houle <thoule@...>
In the 1950's.Athearn produced both red and yellow-side Timken Roller Bearing metal car kits in HO and O scale. In 1952 I bought an HO red-side kit. Now I'm in O scale and have have acquired the O scale red-side and yellow-side Athearn kits. Neat cars. I, too, would like to know if these cars followed the prototype. Anyone know for sure??
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Tom Houle ----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Miller To: STMFC@... Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 2:08 PM Subject: Re: [STMFC] Timken Freight Cars Early Athearn (Globe?) steel/brass sides boxcars kits had a colorful silver and blue (I think, maybe others) Timken box car. While I know the car was probably not correct did they just invent the colors or were they copied from something? Jon Miller AT&SF For me time has stopped in 1941 Digitrax, Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI user NMRA Life member #2623 Member SFRH&MS Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links a.. To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STMFC/ b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: STMFC-unsubscribe@... c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. |
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Garth Groff <ggg9y@...>
Tom,
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There was also a plastic version of these cars. The one I had was from Lionel, and IIRC had a tiny script "L" to the right of the doors (which I shamelessly removed!). The basic paint was yellow. The car, however, appeared to be Athearn, which is known to have made cars under contract for both Lionel and Roundhouse. I don't believe that any Athearn cars, steel or plastic, are accurate representations of Timken cars. Certainly not the square-cornered plastic car with 5/5 ends, which AFAIK only represents IC, Soo and DSS&A prototypes. Kind regards, Garth G. Groff Tom Houle wrote: In the 1950's.Athearn produced both red and yellow-side Timken Roller Bearing metal car kits in HO and O scale. In 1952 I bought an HO red-side kit. Now I'm in O scale and have have acquired the O scale red-side and yellow-side Athearn kits. Neat cars. I, too, would like to know if these cars followed the prototype. Anyone know for sure?? |
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Brian Paul Ehni <behni@...>
The last I heard, these were all fanciful schemes.
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-- Thanks! Brian Ehni From: Tom Houle <thoule@...> |
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Charles Morrill <badlands@...>
Athearn made three versions of the Timken Roller Bearing boxcars in red, blue, and yellow sides. The paint schemes followed the artwork shown in Timken's magazine advertising. To my knowledge, no full size cars were painted in these schemes. I also suspect that a major reason for Athearn producing these cars were as sales give-aways for Timken.
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Charlie ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Houle" <thoule@...> To: <STMFC@...> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 7:24 AM Subject: Re: [STMFC] Timken Freight Cars
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Denny Anspach <danspach@...>
In the early';50s, Athearn produced three 40' stamped steel models of this car, each with a distinctive paint scheme:
1) Red with while center band, # 37250, -2, -3, -4, -7. There were several differential color variations involving lettering and herald. 2) Yellow with white band and blue roof. R.B.X. 80, -1, -3, -6, -7,-8, 92. 3) Silver with blue band and pin stripes. TRB 91030, -2, -4, -5,- 7, -9. Reportedly Athearn admitted that he had copied these schemes from Timken commercial advertising copy, and so they have to be taken with a grain of salt. I have no idea where he picked up the number series (thin air??). The numbering series listed is only what has shown up in Greenberg's compendium. Presumably other numbers were produced as well. The irony of these models is that Athearn sold them with plain bearing trucks! Menzies apparently continued to produce version #1 above later, and he may have included RB trucks. I do not know. These antique models can be both very interesting, and if neatly built, also very attractive. Denny -- Denny S. Anspach, MD Sacramento, California |
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Denny Anspach <danspach@...>
Reportedly, Irving Athearn admitted later that he had no idea whatsoever whether or not the Timken freight car was at the Railroad Fair, and (by implication) he in fact had no idea what the car actually looked like. Denny -- Denny S. Anspach, MD Sacramento, California |
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Jon Miller <atsf@...>
The irony of these models is that Athearn sold them with plainbearing trucks! Menzies apparently continued to produce version #1 above later, and he may have included RB trucks. I do not know.< I 'think' Athearn at one time made the RB trucks, I have four pair (looking at them now<G>). Typical Athearn metal side frames/boosters with springs. What time in history these were made I'm not sure but I got them in the middle/late '50s. I don't know if the Athearn cars ever had the trucks as I only had a pair of side once. Jon Miller AT&SF For me time has stopped in 1941 Digitrax, Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI user NMRA Life member #2623 Member SFRH&MS |
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Garth Groff <ggg9y@...>
Denny and friends,
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There actually were cars which carried the Timken "Roller Frieght" herald. WP 19537 was a 40' PS-1 boxcar with a 7' door which was repainted into the famous "Giant Orange Feather" scheme, over silver/aluminum sides. Cars painted this way were series 19521-19520, delivered new in 1951; and series 19521-19542, repainted when fitted with load dividers in February 1953 (Microscale 87-438 decals cover this scheme). WP 19537 was fitted up with roller bearing trucks as a test, and so was marked with a large "Roller Freight" herald to the right of the door. The car was something of a showboat, and was sometimes put on display at fairs to advertise how progressive the WP was. How long the car was painted this way, I don't know for sure. Repainting the class into the "Medium Orange Feather Scheme" (Champ HB-327) on boxcar red sides began in 1966 and was completed by 1959 or so. In addition, the WP took delivery of the 31-foot mini-gons mentioned in an earlier post. They were the first application of roller bearings to a whole class of cars on the WP. The gons were delivered with a small version of the roller freight herald in the panel above the truck on the right when facing the sides. The herald was not renewed when the cars went through their first shopping, probably when permanent steel racks were applied in 1956. Does anyone know of other prototype examples of the "Roller Freight" herald? Kind regards, Garth G. Groff Denny Anspach wrote: In the early';50s, Athearn produced three 40' stamped steel models of this car, each with a distinctive paint scheme: |
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Montford Switzer <ZOE@...>
Denny and group:
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Back about 1960 several of us around here had the Athearn Timken cars. We all figured out that we needed roller bearing trucks with the caps on the journals. It seems like the retrofits were from Athearn, but I've slept since then. Any way, at that time we though we were on the "cutting edge" when one of our RB equipped Timkens rolled by on the layout. Of course that was back when a '59 Chevy with tri-power was a "hot setup," also. A lot of things have changed. Mont Switzer -----Original Message-----
From: Denny Anspach [mailto:danspach@...] Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 11:55 AM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: Timken Freight Cars In the early';50s, Athearn produced three 40' stamped steel models of this car, each with a distinctive paint scheme: 1) Red with while center band, # 37250, -2, -3, -4, -7. There were several differential color variations involving lettering and herald. 2) Yellow with white band and blue roof. R.B.X. 80, -1, -3, -6, -7,-8, 92. 3) Silver with blue band and pin stripes. TRB 91030, -2, -4, -5,- 7, -9. Reportedly Athearn admitted that he had copied these schemes from Timken commercial advertising copy, and so they have to be taken with a grain of salt. I have no idea where he picked up the number series (thin air??). The numbering series listed is only what has shown up in Greenberg's compendium. Presumably other numbers were produced as well. The irony of these models is that Athearn sold them with plain bearing trucks! Menzies apparently continued to produce version #1 above later, and he may have included RB trucks. I do not know. These antique models can be both very interesting, and if neatly built, also very attractive. Denny -- Denny S. Anspach, MD Sacramento, California Yahoo! Groups Links |
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