I have a MTH J-Class N&W 4-8-4. The cab number is #600 so when I use the yard effects(Function 4), it announces it as the “Pocahontas.” I know that N&W ran the Pocahontas, the Powhattan Arrow and the Cavalier as part of their passenger service.
For prototype sake, MTH is supposed to release 2 versions of the matching passenger set. The scarlet variant is decaled to be the Powhattan arrow, and the blue variant is decaled to be the Pocahontas.
I know that N&W switched colors in the late 1950’s to their blue scheme. Would it look wrong to have a J-Class pulling the blue painted cars? or should I just wait for the Powhattan Arrow set…or does the whole “correct” consist thing not even matter? The 2014 catalog lits item’s 80-60045(the blue variant 5 car set) and 80-60013(scarlet variant 5 car set). The blue variant set has already been released, but I cannot find the scarlet variant…even though it appears in the latest catalog(is it possible that it was canclled?)
If anyone could point me to a dealer that has the 5 car “scarlet” set in stock…I’d be in hog heaven. I keep on checking ebay to no avail.
I’m kinda new to the whole “waitlist” thing.
I think the ‘color’ change was in the early or mid 60’s. It was the Wabash simplified paint scheme. N&W took control of the Wabash and started usung the Wabase blue with N$W markings on repaints. By this time, steam was long gone on the N&W. If you are runninging early 50’s, the tuscan(scarlet) paint scheme should be the one you want for your trains.
As N&W consolidated passenger operations, the Pocahontas became the last remaing original N&W train, and much of the consist was in blue with dome cars as well.
Jim
The “Pocahontas” in the 1950’s was quite different than what represented in the MTH set. The MTH set should be correct only for the “Powhatan Arrow” 1949 to 1958. The round-end observation car was sold to Saudi Arabia in 1958. The blue paint came in when Herman Pevler became president of the N&W in 1964, and lasted until 1971. Pevler came from the Wabash, and the blue paint was obviously inspired by the Wabash paint scheme. The “Pocahontas” always handled mail and baggage and was different from the “Powhatan Arrow” which was a coach train with diner and observation. After 1958, the “Arrow” often ran with baggage and mail cars, which is about the time the J’s were taken off the train. So to conclude, running the MTH set with the J would be only correct with the tuscan red set and for the time period of 1949-1958. Running the “Pocahontas” would require different passenger cars altogether, which I am presently managing with the old Rivarossi N&W cars. lois
This is a big frustration for me as well. I would love to buy one of the hundreds of BLI J’s that are out there, but there are no sets of Powhaten Arrow’s available for sale. Seems like someone out there besides MTH would make a set. Like BLI for instance. I bet it would help them sell more of their J’s. I don’t know maybe that asking for to much.
SB
“Pevlar Blue”, as many employees called it, started in 1966. It was not the same as the previous Wabash color, although many ex-Wabash units were repainted Pevlar Blue. The most popular conspiracy theory is that the color was chosen because of a planned merger with the C&O which never happened. In April of 1970 they switched back to black.