Anyone know who painted and decorated this Athearn (ex-MDC) HO scale 50’ hi-cube dbl plug door boxcar for the Modesto & Empire Traction Co.? It was done extremely nice with lots of detail including end numbers and crisp pad printing (not decals)? (The 23390 stock number is that of an undecorated kit.)
It was likely done in 2005 as Athearn only produced these ex-MDC kits once in 2005. I would like to know who commissioned these models to be made and what the original sales price was.
I check my Athearn short line boxcar releases for M&ET (recall I’m a short line boxcar junkie) and didn’t find a Athearn release for that road name however,a cross check shows a Atlas 53 ’ Evens double door boxcar lettered for M&ET…
If you click on Photostream in his post, you will see a photograph of it. It is definitely a former MDC kit. My question is why are the report marks METX? Modesto and Emprie Traction Company’s boxcars have MET reporting marks; no X.
I found my own answer after sending an email inquiry to the M&ET Railroad. They replied “We believe we used Third Rail Graphics, NY to do the painting. We sold the rail car for $22.80 plus tax.” Still have no idea why they placed the “X” after MET in the reporting mark.