Apologies to Dave V. He poeted this info recently and like a dorkus forgot to mark it and now I can’t find it.
Chip,
For Lines East, the most common cabin cars were the steel N5 (offset cupola) and N5c (streamlined cupola and portal windows). Both are available from Bowser. The N5 was introduced in 1914 and the N5c in 1942. The larger N8 cabin cars were introduced in 1950. The wooden N6, produced by Walthers, was primarily a Lines West model from 1914, but in later years some migrated to the Line East (some were reported roaming the Lines East until the mid 1960s).
Around 1950, the cabin cars would be a shade of “Freight Car Red” with a black (tar) roof. Lettering would simply be “Pennsylvania” with the number below centered on the car body, with a white line above the Pennsylvania, and below the number. Below the lower line would be the car’s assigned region.
Examples can be found here: http://kc.pennsyrr.com/way/cabin_schemes.ws4d
The as the N8s were built, they had the Shadow Keystone applied. The Shadow Key, was applied to the rest of the fleet in 1955.
Don’t forget the Trainphone antenna.
Nick
Question: Would Western Penssylvania be considered “Eastern”?
The division point was Pittsburgh. Indiana, PA would be part of Lines East. You could get away with a N6 on a local, but a N5 or N5c would probably be more common. But any pictures of the operation you find, would give you the best answer.
Personally, I like the N5cs.
Nick
Actually the N6B was very common on locals…The longer N8 and the N5C was road cabins.The N5 was a jack-of-all trades.Also recall cabins had their assigned region printed under the numbers.Western Pennsylvania could be in several regions including “Buckeye” if the region enter Pittsburgh.
These excellent PRR sites may help you
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/
Barkie’s right, the N5C and N8s were the newest cabins on the road and probably wouldn’t have been on the local. More likely an N6b or one of the earlier N5 (square window/cupola models) minuis the trainphone antenna would be appropriate.
Since, in HO, Walthers makes the N6b, I would suggest that be your starting point. Make sure you avoid the one with the large shadow keystone monogram,; that came after 1954. No keystone or the small circle keystone monogram is appropriate for 1950.
Was this a Freudian slip?
Ah, I wish it were that clever. Nope, that was simply a result of typing before my coffee was ready!
Barkie’s??? Man don’t let the guys from the club hear that…I’ll never live it down…LOL! [swg]
Well, back on eBay I’m watching a N5 an N5c and a N6B that is a wood kit without trucks or couplers. Made by Quality Kraft Models. Anything I should know?
Shameless bump. Surely someone has built a Quality Craft Model. Looks fragile.
Chip,IF that is the same cabin car kit that was produce by Mainline Models in the 50/60s they are rather straight forward in building.You will need to paint the metal ends,the metal windows and roof…You will need to bend your handrails from the wire provided-use to be .20000th)(twenty thousandths) most modelers use .15000th)(fifteen thousandths).The end ladders will be to be cut from the ladder stock provided in the kit as well.
You will need to buy trucks and couplers as well.
These build into a beautiful wooden N6B cabin car…
Now…My honest opinion? Buy the Walthers N6B.
Theres’s the rub–Sunshine tastes, sub-Tyco budget.
Isn’t the Tyco train set caboose kinda sorta a Pennsy cab? Seems like I rember a RMC article about cutting the roof and turning to make a center cuopalow [sp] …Cox 47
Ahh…I see…Me thinks I have a solution.A little rework would be in order that would require adding new wheels in the trucks and KD couplers.
http://www.modelpower.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2228
I remember that article. It would take a lot of work, but you could get an “almost-N8” cabin out of it. However, in 1950, the very first N8s were being built in Altoona, and the last place you’d probably see one would be on a local freight on a branchline. They were built for pusher service up Horseshoe Curve, the extended platforms supposingly providing addditional protection to the crew from compression by the rear-end helpers.
The didn’t really trickle down onto the branchlines for many years.
Chip, as Joe Fugate says, you can have 2 of the following 3: cheap, fast, and good. I’d replace good with accurate in this case.
The Walthers N6b is a perfect match for you. You could go cheaper and detail an old Model Power N6b (it’s almost correct). Or you could build that craftsman kit. Your call. I’d do the Walthers thing myself.
I’d get the Walthers N6b with plain lettering, no keystone, and a Bowser cabin with plain lettering, no keystone. I’d also try to match the body color and paint the roof and cupola the same red. That was still common in 1950, as it really wasn’t until post-WWII that roofs and cupolas were painted black.
I guess it depends on your goal. Accuracy vs affordability rarely leads to a win-win situation.
Yes indeed that Tyco caboose was base on the N8 caboose but,the cupola was in the wrong location.
Re: Wood kits
As noted by John Nehrich, it takes a lot of sealing and sanding to fill the pores in the wood. If you keep repeating the process enough times eventually your eyesight will get bad enough that you’ll think balsa looks like steel.
The Walthers N6Bs are kinda pricey, over twice your other options. I’d go with a Bowser N5 (not N5C) in “old style” or “circle keystone” paint. There is also an Model Power “trainset” 32 ft wood caboose that is supposedly very close to an N6B. I think there has been an article or two on accurizing it.
This link is to a searchable cabin roster for 1957.
http://kc.pennsyrr.com/WS4D_Cookie=4.7.06_22,04,49_78182/forms/cabins/index.html
If you just search for the Pittsburgh Region, you’ll see that N5 or similar N5B is the most common cabin, about 285 out of 545 at the time. (In fact, the Blairsville-Indiana local used one.) I would not use the N5C or N8.
KL
Actually the sides of that N6B is painted and has silk screen lettering…As I recall the most sanding was done on the metal ends and windows-I built 4 of these cabins in 1961 as well as a B&O I-5 caboose…There was NO real need to sand the roof since it was pre sanded and ready for paint…
As far as wood freight car kits most are easily assembled (as a comparison imagine a Branchline car kit in wood) and needs very little sanding…Of course many fell sanding is a must when its not necessity true in most cases.