Un-numbered Southern mail car?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I just went to a train show and bought a Kato Conrail NW2, the guy I bought it from was nice enough to give me a mail car that needed some work. But, the mail car dosent have a number on either side? Was that standard for US mail cars?

Here is one side:

and here is the other:

Here is a link to another on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RIVAROSSI-HO-SCALE-SOUTHERN-RAILROAD-US-MAIL-RAILWAY-POST-OFFICE-PASSENGER-CAR-/331749974025?hash=item4d3dd6e009:g:0MgAAOSwJkJWkGFC

Thanks for any help,

Chris [:D]

2

I think that your Rivarossi RPO needs a number.

I based my Rivarossi RPO on a photo of a Canadian National car, and modified it slightly to match the prototype:

Here’s a link to a photo of a preserved Southern RPO, (not quite the same as yours, and painted differently) complete with number:

srha.net

Wayne

3

Thanks, but do you know if there is a reason it wasent numbered? And I don’t have an airbrush, how would I paint the numbers on?

Thanks again!

4

Hi,

Many manufacturers leave the numbers (or names on many sleepers) off so the modeler can customize them so no two cars have the same name or number.

Decals are the most common choice and less popular are dry transfers. For a car with a flat finish the dry transfers work well. The best chance for a decal to adhere and not look “silvery” is to have a gloss finish to place the decal on.

I have dozens of extra decals with car numbers remaining from the sheets provided with Walthers passenger cars. Send me a PM and I’ll mail some to you.

Regards, Ed

5

well, there is a problem, we don’t get some of our mail, and things like what you offerEd won’t come. But thank you so much for the offer. I plan on buying a Walters passenger car this week, and specific Walters line that has them, or do all passenger cars come with them

Thanks,

chris

6

No worries, Chris…

So, here’s a photo of a H-W Southern RPO—which looks pretty close to the Rivarossi car—where you’d be pretty hard pressed to find a number. I have seen many head end cars that were so dirty the number was barely legible. The reporting marks, owner initials and car number were also on or over the end door, both inside and out and sometimes stenciled on the inside walls so baggage and express handlers could see what car they were in without seeing it on the outside.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sout/sou-rp7015goa.jpg

The 7015 in the photo looks like it has the “United States Mail - Railway Post Office” painted out after the car was pulled from active mail service which occurred at a rapid pace through the 1960s.

Good Luck, Ed

7

Thanks for all your help,

Chris

(and good luck to you too)