This is a follow up on a previous post. Based on that post, this is a question for the Western Pacific modelers on the forums. If I was looking to add 2-3 cars for my HO scale 70s era layout, what would be the most likely cars and schemes that would have interchanged up north (ex-NP line)? As usual, any assistance that can be provided would be most welcomed.
I’m not a WP modeler, but there is some info on this page, scroll, and you can see box cars, (actually beer cars) from the 80’s and 90’s
https://atsfinroswell.wordpress.com/tag/western-pacific/
I’m sure a search for WP equipment will turn up lots of info.
Mike.
Here is some interesting information, with photos, about likely boxcars.
https://www.wplives.org/boxcars.html
For someone interested in plausible accurate consists, a good investment is to acquire an Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER) from your chosen era. These used to be fairly cheap at railroadiana swap meets (they were published monthly, and at most railroads there was a sort of hierarchy of the prior months’ ORER being handed down to a lower level official until finally it was thrown away or given to a lucky railfan); I seem to see fewer of them now. I do not model the 1970s but have one from January 1967. (and scribblings on the cover show that 3 or 4 officials got it before it was discarded).
Anyway, an ORER wouldn’t show what cars were mostly often interchanged with a partiuclar railroad, but they do show how many cars of a type the railroad had. This gets into quite a bit of detail as to number series and so on but they also have gross totals. This should give you a basis for educated guesses. Looking up WP in 1967, they had 1552 boxcars of various sorts, but the bigger numbers were for 50’ boxcars. The next most common cars were gondolas, 1144. Largest single class was 46’ gons. Not so many gons of “mill gon” length. 688 flatcars of various sorts (including permanently coupled 50 footers) but the biggest single class: 50 foot flatcars (not 53’6" although they had some of those too).
Hoppers, covered hoppers, insulated boxcars, tank cars and wood chip cars: they had 'em but the numbers are negligible.
So just playing the averages, and assuming that the early 1970s were somewhat similar to the late 1960s, 50’ WP boxcars, 46’ WP gons, and 50’ WP flatcars were numerous and except for specialized industries and locations (such as those that need insulated boxcars, or wood chip cars) would have
The WP had a lot of 50’ PS1 Boxcars many in lumber service and some with loaders for hauling canned goods from California to other locations, so these would be viable candidates for your use.
Also, in the late 70’s they received a number of 50’ FMC Double Door 5077CF Boxcars for lumber service.
Another car would be the PC&F RBL’s in both the Single Door and Double Door variety used in canned good service.
Rick Jesionowski
What number blocks would I be wanting to find for the mentioned cars?
RRpicturearchives has 5 pages of WP box cars, not sure how you tell the Pullman Standard cars. Probably from the shape of the ends.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=WP&cid=2&Page=1
Mike.
Are any of these three what I would be looking for:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4573161
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4870077
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4870088
The first car is WP 64702, part of series 64701-64748, rebuilt by PC&F in 1977 with 14’ doors and other modifications. They were typically used for canned goods.
The second is WP 64026, from series 64001-64075, built by PC&F in 1965. They had 88-ton trucks and were assigned to coiled tinplate loading from US Steel in Pittsburg, CA.
The last one is WP 68665, from series 68501-68766, again from PC&F, built in 1966. I don’t have ay information on specific lading for these.
Here’s the potential problem - none of those cars are available in HO without some fairly extensive kitbashing. If that’s what you’re interested in, great. Those would make for some nice models that you won’t see on other layouts.
Several manufacturers, including Intermountain, Kadee, ExactRail, Athearn, and Atlas, have offered WP equipment of various types that would work as-is. Examples include Athearn single bay Airslide hoppers and 3-bay PS-2 covered hoppers, Atlas and Kadee 2-bay PS-2s, Intermountain and Athearn Genesis 3-bay ACF hoppers, ExactRail boxcars of a couple types, and Kadee and Intermountain PS-1 boxcars in both 40’ and 50’ varieties. Those are only a start.
If you’re modeling traffic off the Inside Gateway, just about anything could be interchanged with the GN (later BN) at Bieber. Others could show up from interchange connections with other roads, and wouldn’t have to be direct from the WP itself. Pick a few cars you like and/or that are available and go for it.
I think I will start hunting for the boxcars. I can’t think of a good reason for WP hoppers to be in the neck of the woods that I model.
To aid in your search for info on Western Pacific 50 foot PS-1 boxcars, I submit the following as published in the June 1992 Mainline Modeler magazine. WP like most roads, purchased cars from multiple builders so, these are not their only boxcars, just the Pullman-Standard cars.
All cars have 7+8 foot Youngstown sliding doors:
WP 3801-3818 18 cars blt 1954
" 3838-3862 25 " " 1955
" 3965-3989 25 " " 1960
" 19301-19450 150 " " 1955
" 19601-19700 100 " " 1956
" 35001-35182 182 " " 1954
" 35201-35425 225 " " 1955
&n
Very well stated. There have been too many times that I have purchased cars only to find out later that they are not accurate in one way or another. (A lot were pre-Internet when I had no way to easily check them.) As a result, there are certain manufacturers and certain schemes I have learned to avoid as they aren’t correct. I have also painted and decaled a lot of my own equipment. (Needed when you have your own railroad. I have also done quite a bit of BN and predecessor roads for accuracy and need.)
I don’t know if it is a valid thought for my neck of the woods, but it is an interesting thought. I was looking at justifiable pass