Is there any Golden West Hoppers out there with KCS marks? On KCS? If not what happened to them?
They were relettered to either CRLE (most likely) or GVSR.
No, you weren’t imagining the KCS cars–they did exist at one time!
I think some of them have UP reporting marks too.
Were some from other roads…SJVR (San Joaquin Valley)?
Actually the only Golden West hoppers I’ve seen have GVSR marks. (And possibly some relettered back to SP.)
[sigh]
Initial operators of Golden West Service cars were KCS, CRLE, GVSR, and VCY. These cars were rehabilitated, relettered, and renumbered from SP. SSW, and D&RGW equipment.
The KCS only got a few covered hoppers during the early stages of this program, and they were relettered CRLE fairly quickly.
A big block of VCY’s ex-SPFE mechanical reefers were relettered UPFE.
Now, a lot of the GVSR (and VCY) Golden West cars are being restored to their original SP and SSW numbers (or, in cases of cars that had been extensively modified, to a new number series…the SP 230000-series box cars are the most common example of this).
There are also some Golden West Service cars that have gone on to other owners (TKEN is the one I can think of right away; I know there are others).
I believe that a lot of former Golden West cars went to Amtrak years ago for their express service. Now they’re looking for a new home again.
Not that I am aware of. I have never seen any type of SJVR freight car.
200 of the VCY reefers (25000-25199) were renumbered to UPFE 25000-25199.
I’ve seen many cars in Golden West service paint with SSW or SP reporting marks, and these are very recently renumbered and relettered.
It depends on what you mean by “recent”. I saw some being renumbered circa March 2001.
I must have been confusing them with the VCY cars. [I have seen several SJVR cars though they might not have been Golden West…]
Are you sure? I live near SJVR territory. What kind of cars are they? Do you remember any numbers? Is it possible that you are thinking of GVSR?
This observer has not seen any SJVR cars, either…as of about a year and a half ago (my most recent Equipment Register) they didn’t own any.
I’ll search my photo archives and see if I can locate any
Yeah CShave, you it hit it dead on; I saw a model of one and kinda remember a picture but couldn’t find anything on the KCS hoppers. So that fact that they re-lettered makes sense.
Guess I won’t be going to the nut house atfer all!
Carl, there should be one now, SJVR 2. It is a former SP H-100-2.
Hmmm…could it be the one that they were talking about that made it to the UP? I’ll bet it won’t stray too far from home rails (a pity–those cars were certainly unique).
Eric–congratulations on the fifth star–must have come earlier today!
I think so. When I saw it, I noticed that on one end I could still see the end of the SP number and it ended in 20. They must be using in MOW service since it is about 45 years old.
Thanks, it did come earlier today.
Ericsp,
Thanks for this thread and the other thread, also thanks to the other folks for contributing. This is a part of the hobby I never really got into, maybe because I never was into modeling in a big way. But, it is fascinating, are there some good guides that can be purchased on rolling stock?
Jim
What an idea, Jim!
I wish I had the time.
Not much out there on freight cars. It seems there are not much of us out here that are interested in the cars. Look over David Casdorph’s website. There are also some old issues of Freight Cars Journal on it, but it is not on the menu. Model Railroader has a book out on freight cars, it has basic information.
Signature Press has some books on freight cars, including one on Pacific Fruit Express equipment and operations.