I assume a proof of the artwork was sent to PWRS for approval pror to production, and no one at PWRS noticed the mistake
I wouldn't assume that, and it was long enough ago for there to be no interest in assessing fault. I do recall PWRS being very upset and disappointed with the error at the time. They have since gone on to issue many fine releases of special run cars for Canadian modellers, and in more recent years, some of the best freight cars in N Scale of their own manufacture. Their forthcoming 5077 and NSC boxcars will be fabulous additions to the N Scale market.
Thanks for the detailed reply. Having been in the graphic arts industry for almost fifty years, I have seen a lot of typos that slipped by everyone in the approval process.
It happened on the prototype, too. In the 1970s one of the railway's 89'-4" trailer flat cars was repainted and re-stencilled for BRITISH COLUMBIA RAILWAY. The railway's name was applied to the car side on a letterboard in three pieces, one for each word. After the car was rolled out of the paint shop, the employee who applied the railway's name was asked to walk away from the car and look back at it. It as then that he saw that the railway's name had been applied as BRITISH RAILWAY COLUMBIA. He was then presented with the Attaboy Award by his colleagues. The employee enjoyed a successful career, eventually becoming paint Shop Foreman, and to this day still laughs about the incident. Sometimes you can be too close to your work.
Tim
