Two New Passenger Cars from "Rail Smith" (Lowell Smith)

[Nato]

       Two all new body types (styles) have just been introduced. A fluted side streamlined RPO Baggage car, road names include Frisco, Santa Fe, New York Central, and Rock Island among others. "Western" series sleepers built for the Union Pacific for use on the City Of Saint Louis, also owned by Chicago & Northwestern, and Wabash. These cars built by ACF contained more roomettes than bedrooms in each car 4-14 .These cars (the UP ones) were later rebuilt into "Sun" series 11 bedroom cars. Rail Smith is offering these cars in UP, scheme, UP  scheme with a car Sun  name and Wabash Blue cars. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[thomasjmdavis]

Not to be argumentative, but the Western/Blue sleepers are 12 roomette- 4dbl. bedroom.  The "Blue" were the Wabash sleepers that were originally painted in the Wabash Blue scheme. Western sleepers were owned by   Wabash later painted some of their Western sleepers blue as well (one of these is done by Lowell as well as an original Blue and several Western in UP colors.

The Western/Blue sleepers have been opened for pre-order for much of this year (I ordered one early on), so folks who want one should speak up as the shipping date early in 2023, I think (I think that  has been pushed back from the end of this year- I recall buying this as a Christmas present to myself).

I had a cordial email conversation with Lowell about the RPO-baggage.  I couldn't find exact matches for it in any photos I located on the web, but it is very well proportioned and will be a good stand in for roads where it is not an exact match.  Strikes me it would be a good candidate for an "undecorated" release- as it could be (relatively) easily kitbashed to represent a wide variety of PS and ACF prototypes.

[Nato]

      My Humble apology, yes I got the Western Cars room arrangement wrong. Yes I knew the cars painted blue had been available to order for some time , but not the UP Yellow cars. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[thomasjmdavis]

My mistake on the UP cars then.  I thought Lowell released them at the same time as the Wabash, but the Wabash car was the one I was after, so must not have been paying attention to the UP. 

 For a brief time in 1956, Wabash carried a sleeper from the Texas Special from St Louis to Chicago.  On some days, this was a Wabash 12-4, on other days a Frisco (or MKT? or either?) 14-4.  They somehow kept track of how many roomettes would be available on any given day. So, at least at that point, there was also an occasional 14-4 on Wabash trains, albeit in Texas Special colors.

[wcfn100]

I ordered the RI RPO a few days ago.  It's not much use to any of the prototype trains I would need, but RPOs are hard to come by and with the two Rail smith coaches I have and WoT baggage, I can always have a nice consist to run.

I'm starting to get concerned though, that I might regret not getting any of the sleeper cars for RI or IC, but for the trains in model in the 60's, all the sleepers were gone. 

Jason

[Sokramiketes]

I had a cordial email conversation with Lowell about the RPO-baggage.  I couldn't find exact matches for it in any photos I located on the web, but it is very well proportioned and will be a good stand in for roads where it is not an exact match.  Strikes me it would be a good candidate for an "undecorated" release- as it could be (relatively) easily kitbashed to represent a wide variety of PS and ACF prototypes.

Did you come across the Texas Special car?  I think that's the prototype.  Three window baggage door included.  https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/092262/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-Texas-Special-RPO-Anson-B-Jones-1000-F-P-WRONG-BOX-AS-IS

And the reason Lowell liked the prototype so much is because they went to the SP&S:  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=1079558

[Cajonpassfan]

       Two all new body types (styles) have just been introduced. A fluted side streamlined RPO Baggage car, road names include Frisco, Santa Fe, New York Central, and Rock Island among others. "Western" series sleepers built for the Union Pacific for use on the City Of Saint Louis, also owned by Chicago & Northwestern, and Wabash. These cars built by ACF contained more roomettes than bedrooms in each car 4-14 .These cars (the UP ones) were later rebuilt into "Sun" series 11 bedroom cars. Rail Smith is offering these cars in UP, scheme, UP  scheme with a car Sun  name and Wabash Blue cars. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

I'm patiently waiting for my two 12-4  "Western" sleepers from Lowell. Before the City of St. Louis went to the west coast, one ran on the Utahn, and one on the Los Angeles Limited to/from Chicago.
Otto K.

[thomasjmdavis]

Did you come across the Texas Special car?  I think that's the prototype.  Three window baggage door included.  https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/092262/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-Texas-Special-RPO-Anson-B-Jones-1000-F-P-WRONG-BOX-AS-IS

And the reason Lowell liked the prototype so much is because they went to the SP&S:  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=1079558

Thanks Mike.  The only photos I could find showed the car late in life, in SP&S paint- and with what looked like a replacement door.  I think you are right, the Texas Special car is the prototype.  In any case, it is a good looking car. 

[Sokramiketes]

Yes I knew the cars painted blue had been available to order for some time , but not the UP Yellow cars. Nate Goodman (Nato).

I see both the UP yellow and Wabash blue cars in the January 20,2022 email announcing the Western Series sleeping cars.