A while ago (about two years),I decided I would assemble a train that would be as authentic as possible as a personal challenge.At the time,I didn’t really have my mind set at any prototype but I knew I would find one that would suit my personal interest.I had set my parameters though like passenger train,likely UP or SP,the thirties or early forties so that it would be steam powered and most of all,would be a historical train with a rather long course so that it would have a variety of car types like coaches,restaurants,sleepers,etc.
A few nights on Google and found a few very interesting trains indeed but since I can’t model them all,I’ve set my mind on the Portland Rose.I then came to this forum and posted for extra infos and thanks to Andy Sperandeo,could find mostly what I wanted with Union Pacific Historical Society’s publication,the Streamliner.
This allowed me to learn that the Portland Rose train wasn’t in any way an easy modelling subject.That much better though as it became a more challenging though longer project.Good,I’m in no rush.What I’ve learned is that all along it’s travel,the PR changed quite substantially,even becoming a two part train at some points,featuring heavyweight Pullmans for the most part but not necessarily look alikes.Most were UP two tone gray but a good number were left Pullman green and on a part of it’s travel,it even pulled a few CNW cars.And if this wasn’t enough,the head end power selection was also quite extensive with Pacific’s,Mountains,Northern’s and even Challengers,some bearing UP two tone gray some straight black.
Rivarrossi once offered a collector’s set of the PR in N scale,wich is almost impossible to find now.However,I’ve been able to see one on Ebay a while ago (couldn’t buy as auction was cancelled) that featured two tone gray heavyweight Pullman’s coupled to a two tone gray Challenger…very nice set indeed.But it created a confusion in my mind.My readings hav
That ‘aluminum type’ streamline car train was not the Portland Rose - It was the new ‘City of Portland’ semi-articulated streamliner. The Portland Rose became the secondary train, and usually had a mix of heavyweight equipment until streamline cars became available for it in the 50’s The ‘City of Portland’ articulated train was replaced with streamline cars(including domes). By that time, diesels were pulling the Portland Rose train, and streamline cars were mixed in with the heavyweights.
Please allow me to return a long post with an even longer one.
Ah the joys of research. That’s why I stuck with the Riley, local, and consistant.
The Express car is going to have different trucks on it. The UP excursion trains use a former UP express car as the tool car. Have a look at her.
If your just modelling passenger trains, then you may be right. If your interested in UP modelling, then i will be fun to have. Or, put them on your Christmas list next year, and spend your family’s money on them. [:D]
ALso, don’t be afraid to try Google Books. If you get lucky, there will be a limited preview on the topic in the book you need.
Here’s somethign to try. Pick a specific engine you want to run. Then figure out which rendition of the PR it pulled. This will tell you what cars you need.
For example, the NYC James Whitcomb RIley, I’ve basically decided on the 1948 version. That’s a Mohawk steamer, and mostly lightweight cars, aside from head-end revenue. the 1948 is short the interchanged SOU and C&O sleepers going to Chicago, so I know I don’t have to mdel them. (You might be able to determine the same for the CNW cars, I don’t remember when UP dropped CNW) From there, I can tell you the exact consist of the train, the car nu,bers, the makes, etc. becuse I could do a search for James Whitocmb RIley consist 1948. Try that, it might help you
Thanks for the answer,I’m pleased to see that I’m not the only one with such interests,although we didn’t choose the same prototype.But then,if everyone chose the same,where would the interest be?I have no affinity whatsoever with the Portland Rose train since I’m canadian and I wasn’t even born then,but I wanted an interesting modelling subject and this train is indeed very appealing,to me at least.
I’m happy to be able to pick up bits of infos where ever I can and will keep it up,but I have most of the infos I need,mostly thanks to Andy Sperandeo,who directed me to the best reliable source of info I could imagine meaning the UPHS.They published a consist flow chart that is pretty complete (from June 1943) that has allowed me to know that the PR was train 1-17 Eastbound and 1-18 Westbound when it was a single unit train and that it got broken down at Cheyenne WY to create a second train (2-17 and 2-18) when required.I suppose these variations were dictated by passenger volumes depending on seasons and other factors.What I’d like to do is being able to model the PR in any versions without necessarily being absolutely true to prototype at any given time.There were sleeper variants,as well as restaurant cars,etc,so trying to duplicate this is next to impossible.Being able to recreate “could have been” versions suits me absolutely.
My biggest problem was to find the right colors but since I’ve been fortunate to find a set of PR coaches on Ebay,I’ll be able to have my other cars painted to match,assuming these cars are of the correct color but I guess I’ll have to trust they are.The PR also pulled green Pullman’s and I have a few of those.I also have the Challenger in black but the PR did feature black 4-6-6-4’s as well,along with Mountains and Pacifics wich I also have.All is missing is the Express car and may be a few CNW cars if I happen to stumble on a few on Ebay at a decent price,but won’t lose my sleep over these.Guess what…I’m having fu
The UP had two groups of 40-foot, double-door, steel boxcars originally built for express merchandise freight service before World War II, and later converted to box express cars for service in passenger trains. In the late 1940s, when the two-tone gray scheme was current on the Portland Rose, these box express cars were also painted two-tone gray (but were used on many other trains as well, system wide).
These were shorter cars than the 1950s express cars later seen in the steam excursion trains. The only surviving example of the 40-foot box express car that I know of is in the Colorado Railroad Museum collection at Golden.
The UP Streamliner had an article on the prototype cars several years ago, but the UP society’s Web site seems to be off line today so I can’t give you the reference. I think I remember that there were two classes of them, B-50-24 and B-50-27. These cars were also included in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia articles in volumes 6 and 8 of that publication (which covered box express cars in general, not just the UP cars). See rpcycpub.com.
