On 11/30/2022 11:15 AM CST Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:

 

 

I saw the ghost lettering. I can’t make out any lease letters except R and N. There aren’t any lease decals, so that’s a moot point. The letters A and B are hand painted on the domes. There is no decal matching the four line lettering on the center sill, and I can’t see enough of the two lines of lettering at the left end of the center sill to match it to a decal. There is a hint of lettering above the handrail, which may be the reporting mark and road number, and there are hints of several lines of lettering on the left end below the handrail. End lettering decals are on the sheet, but I don’t know how many lines if any were on repaints. There are two or three lines of lettering under the reporting marks on the left end of the side, but they are illegible.

 

I looks like the reporting marks were painted over the original paint, then the car data bleed through, because the new reporting marks overlap the earlier paint. The deeper I dig, the more questions I have.

 

Nelson Moyer

On 11/30/2022 11:15 AM CST Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:

 

 

I saw the ghost lettering. I can’t make out any lease letters except R and N. There aren’t any lease decals, so that’s a moot point. The letters A and B are hand painted on the domes. There is no decal matching the four line lettering on the center sill, and I can’t see enough of the two lines of lettering at the left end of the center sill to match it to a decal. There is a hint of lettering above the handrail, which may be the reporting mark and road number, and there are hints of several lines of lettering on the left end below the handrail. End lettering decals are on the sheet, but I don’t know how many lines if any were on repaints. There are two or three lines of lettering under the reporting marks on the left end of the side, but they are illegible.

 

I looks like the reporting marks were painted over the original paint, then the car data bleed through, because the new reporting marks overlap the earlier paint. The deeper I dig, the more questions I have.

 

Nelson Moyer

The Soo Line RBL in the background is in the paint scheme in use in the mid sixties (I'm not near my research material or I'd look up the built date). I suspect Nelson wants his model to represent the car at least fifteen years earlier.

Dennis Storzek

On Nov 29, 2022, at 6:10 PM, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:

I just finished reviewing the archives for posts and photos or GATX 1638, and I have more questions than answers about the lettering. The only photo I have is the one in the instructions, which is a simplifies scheme with only the reporting marks, road number, and date on the right end of the sides. There is also some small lettering on the center sill, but it’s unreadable in the low resolution photo. No end photo is available, so other than the reporting marks and road number, the end lettering is a mystery. The date the photo was taken isn’t given, but there are no lines above or below the reporting marks and road number.

 

Mike Brock’s model shows lettering with lines above and below the reporting marks, CAPY, LT WT, and reweigh date. The pilot model photo I got from SC&F is attached so you can note the differences from Mike’s model. Neither model matches the lettering in the photo. The decal sheet has lots of lettering not in the photo or on either model.  According to the archives, several others have built the kit, but they haven’t posted photos of the finished model.

 

So how am I supposed to letter GATX 1638 for 1953, assuming it was actually on the ORER that year? The right side photo doesn’t have the dome lettering. Does the left side have dome lettering? The photo doesn’t show CAPY, LT WT, or reweigh date. Is it on the left side only? Where is the repack stencil located, assuming there is one? What lettering, if any, would appear on the ends besides the reporting marks and road number?

 

And as a rhetorical question, why would a kit be issued for which there is so little prototype information?!

 

Nice kit, by the way. Love the friable disk vents. I’ll post my version after I figure out how to letter the car. It’s painted and ready for decals, I just need to know which decals to apply and where to apply them.

Good to hear they were around in 1953. The decals for tank capacity are wrong – A 3227 and B 3198. I may be able to piece the correct numbers from other numbers on the decal sheet if it comes to that.

Nelson Moyer

Perhaps in the FWIW department:

GATX 1638 also appears in the 1936 tariff, but with both compartments given as 3943 gal.  Having two compartments of identical volumes is very much the exception to the rule, so it is presumably the same car. Reductions in volume can occur when steam coils are added, and 1638 is shown as having them in the 1955 tariff, but not the 1936.

I don't know what to make of 1368, but I am tempted to say a clerical transcription error.  In 1936, 1368 was a three-compartment car.  And I agree with Ian, 1638 seems to be a one-off, as I can't find anything similar with matching dome volumes.

Last, I recently composed some GATX lettering for a couple of Tangent cars for both 1930 and 1934.  There was one prototype photo that was pretty much dead-on; the rest required some inference and extrapolation from other car types/sizes.  In this era, the over-under bands are consistent, but I don't have a good handle on 1950+.  Some one with a better post-WWII collection may be able to help.
--
Dave Parker
Swall Meadows, CA

Steve Hile told me both tanks were 3928 gallon, but he didn’t give the source or date for that information. This project has been a moving target long enough, so tonight I’m going to add the last decals and call it done. I’m still not sure what those will be, but I’ve hit the available information wall, so it’s time to move on.

Nelson Moyer

Perhaps in the FWIW department:

GATX 1638 also appears in the 1936 tariff, but with both compartments given as 3943 gal.  Having two compartments of identical volumes is very much the exception to the rule, so it is presumably the same car. Reductions in volume can occur when steam coils are added, and 1638 is shown as having them in the 1955 tariff, but not the 1936.

I don't know what to make of 1368, but I am tempted to say a clerical transcription error.  In 1936, 1368 was a three-compartment car.  And I agree with Ian, 1638 seems to be a one-off, as I can't find anything similar with matching dome volumes.

Last, I recently composed some GATX lettering for a couple of Tangent cars for both 1930 and 1934.  There was one prototype photo that was pretty much dead-on; the rest required some inference and extrapolation from other car types/sizes.  In this era, the over-under bands are consistent, but I don't have a good handle on 1950+.  Some one with a better post-WWII collection may be able to help.
--
Dave Parker
Swall Meadows, CA

3298 was from the 1955 tariff.

Steve Hile

Steve Hile told me both tanks were 3928 gallon, but he didn’t give the source or date for that information. This project has been a moving target long enough, so tonight I’m going to add the last decals and call it done. I’m still not sure what those will be, but I’ve hit the available information wall, so it’s time to move on.

Nelson Moyer

Perhaps in the FWIW department:

GATX 1638 also appears in the 1936 tariff, but with both compartments given as 3943 gal.  Having two compartments of identical volumes is very much the exception to the rule, so it is presumably the same car. Reductions in volume can occur when steam coils are added, and 1638 is shown as having them in the 1955 tariff, but not the 1936.

I don't know what to make of 1368, but I am tempted to say a clerical transcription error.  In 1936, 1368 was a three-compartment car.  And I agree with Ian, 1638 seems to be a one-off, as I can't find anything similar with matching dome volumes.

Last, I recently composed some GATX lettering for a couple of Tangent cars for both 1930 and 1934.  There was one prototype photo that was pretty much dead-on; the rest required some inference and extrapolation from other car types/sizes.  In this era, the over-under bands are consistent, but I don't have a good handle on 1950+.  Some one with a better post-WWII collection may be able to help.
--
Dave Parker
Swall Meadows, CA

I just finished reviewing the archives for posts and photos or GATX 1638, and I have more questions than answers about the lettering. The only photo I have is the one in the instructions, which is a simplifies scheme with only the reporting marks, road number, and date on the right end of the sides. There is also some small lettering on the center sill, but it’s unreadable in the low resolution photo. No end photo is available, so other than the reporting marks and road number, the end lettering is a mystery. The date the photo was taken isn’t given, but there are no lines above or below the reporting marks and road number.

 

Mike Brock’s model shows lettering with lines above and below the reporting marks, CAPY, LT WT, and reweigh date. The pilot model photo I got from SC&F is attached so you can note the differences from Mike’s model. Neither model matches the lettering in the photo. The decal sheet has lots of lettering not in the photo or on either model.  According to the archives, several others have built the kit, but they haven’t posted photos of the finished model.

 

So how am I supposed to letter GATX 1638 for 1953, assuming it was actually on the ORER that year? The right side photo doesn’t have the dome lettering. Does the left side have dome lettering? The photo doesn’t show CAPY, LT WT, or reweigh date. Is it on the left side only? Where is the repack stencil located, assuming there is one? What lettering, if any, would appear on the ends besides the reporting marks and road number?

 

And as a rhetorical question, why would a kit be issued for which there is so little prototype information?!

 

Nice kit, by the way. Love the friable disk vents. I’ll post my version after I figure out how to letter the car. It’s painted and ready for decals, I just need to know which decals to apply and where to apply them.

 

Nelson Moyer

Attachments:

• GATX-1638 Piot Model.jpg
• GATX 1638 from Colin Meikle SC&F prototype.jpg