Branchline Single Window Coach

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I found this photo:

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bm4556.jpg

with the exception of the trucks, would the Branchline Single Window Coach be a close approximate?

Also this might belong in Prototype Information for the Modeler.

2

I have a few of the Branchline single window coaches. I believe they were patterned after a 1920 A.C. & F. design for the New York Central. Many clones were made by other builders and sold to quite a few railroads:

https://nycshs.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/nycheavyweightcoacharticle.pdf

9516 003 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

I built a few of the kits but never had much luck at getting those to track very well. The newer RTR Atlas variants run much better. I replaced some of the six-axle trucks with Walthers four-wheel trucks.

These are actually Walthers paired-window coaches in the photo below but you can see how much better (IMHO) they look with four wheel trucks which the railroad usually applied when the cars were air-conditioned.

IMG_2278 by Edmund, on Flickr

It is tough to make out the number in the car of your photo but it looks like 4558 which would be a 1934 Pullman-Standard car, a little newer than the ACF design.

Here’s some background on the Branchline kits:

Branchline1 by Edmund, on Flickr

Ultimately it’s your choice for how “close” you want to get. The Branchline/Atlas cars were certainly plentiful.

Regards, Ed