Micro-trains 12 car Fast Mail

[thomasjmdavis]

Well, look what I found....
https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=3520

OK, so it is not exactly prototypical (the cars are at best "stand ins" and not ATSF prototypes- boxcar is close).  But it is the first set of a heavyweight Chicago- LA train made with a passably accurate consist and more than 6 cars.

[altohorn25]

I did notice they changed the trucks on the RPO's for this.

[learmoia]

I'd be on board for a New York Central Mail and Express set..
Toss in a horse car, and a couple of REA cars or converted troop sleepers.. don't be afraid to mix it up a bit with the baggage cars too..

Start at 13 min 40 sec  (but it's all good... )

[CBQ Fan]

I have been collecting cars to create my own hodgepodge of this train. This will add to it nicely.

[thomasjmdavis]

That second express train (about 14:20-14:40 has a pair of mail-baggage cars with the mail ends coupled together.  I've read about this being done on the Santa Fe as well- when there were not enough 60' RPOs to go around, or when a train was split somewhere down the line, a pair of mail baggage cars would be coupled this way to provide the requisite 60' of RPO space.

So, an excuse to pick up more mail-baggage cars.... like I need an excuse.

And good point about the offline cars- mail trains going west of Chicago carried a lot of NYC and PRR cars, and to a lesser extent, almost any eastern road.  And interesting how many trains both east and west out of Chicago had a Milwaukee Road express car (these stand out due to orange-maroon paint).  One shows up in the NYC video, ATSF had one occasionally in Fast Mail consists circa 1960, and I've seen photos of them in GTW and C&EI trains.  So there is a perfectly good excuse to pick up a FVM baggage or express box... Again, like I need an excuse.

My only note to MT- for a $300 train, you should set the pre-order date a couple months later, when we have a better idea what our tax refunds will be...

[arbomambo]

hard for me to get excited about this...

[Maletrain]

Well, if they did this in B&O, and printed the letterboards correctly instead of having it off to one end, they would almost get me to spring for it.  But, I have been collecting those 2-door baggage cars with the lettering error, and the decals to fix it, as well as the other types of cars in a B&O mail/express train, so I really don't need that many correctly lettered baggage cars at this point.  But, a couple of years ago, I would have jumped on a set like this in B&O.

[learmoia]

In all fairness, every NYC mail train I see video has a single window coach
or a crew car rebuilt from a single window coaches on the rear.. 

That second express train (about 14:20-14:40 has a pair of mail-baggage cars with the mail ends coupled together.  I've read about this being done on the Santa Fe as well- when there were not enough 60' RPOs to go around, or when a train was split somewhere down the line, a pair of mail baggage cars would be coupled this way to provide the requisite 60' of RPO space.

1: All the years of watching this video, I never noticed that.
2: I assumed there is rhyme and reason to train make up, but it never occured to me that orientation was important too.
3: I never knew until a couple years ago that those scenes were shot in Elkhart, IN.. roughly where the NYC museum is today..

~Ian

[Point353]

That second express train (about 14:20-14:40 has a pair of mail-baggage cars with the mail ends coupled together.  I've read about this being done on the Santa Fe as well- when there were not enough 60' RPOs to go around, or when a train was split somewhere down the line, a pair of mail baggage cars would be coupled this way to provide the requisite 60' of RPO space.

[Englewood]

What power was typically used to pull this train?

[eja]

Fero-equine

[Tom L]

I did notice they changed the trucks on the RPO's for this.

I noticed that, are those new? I don’t recall seeing MT 4 wheel trucks of that type before.

Tom L
Wellington CO

[Ike the BN Freak]

Aren't the 4 axle trucks coming on the new single window coach?

[altohorn25]

What power was typically used to pull this train?

Depending on the year, but they used alot of PA's and F7's for the mail trains.

[Point353]

What power was typically used to pull this train?