Missouri Pacific Eagle

[Cajonpassfan]

Not trying to derail this, but seeing this is a MoPac fan club thread, maybe I can get some knowledgeable assistance in identifying the MoPac express box in the photo below. It is of an overflow section of Santa Fe #8, the Fast Mail and Express out of Los Angeles, on the east slope of Cajon Pass. Behind the 3751 class Northern is a NYC express reefer, an ATSF express box, a Pennsy baggage, and? I sure would like to know the MP car and how to model it (with the shade of blue not quite as important)
With apologies,
Otto K.

[wcfn100]

Not trying to derail this, but seeing this is a MoPac fan club thread, maybe I can get some knowledgeable assistance in identifying the MoPac express box in the photo below.

I think you're looking at one of these:



Protocraft has some info on this car.

https://protocraft.com/category.cfm?ItemID=8235&Categoryid=53

Jason

[Sokramiketes]

I think it looks pretty dang good, especially for a rattle can color. What's the color code?

Blue is TS-15. I apply it over TS-14 black so as to darken it and take out some of the vibrance.

[Sokramiketes]

Mike,

What are you going to use for power for the train?

I’ve only been able to locate one BLI E-8 so far. I picked up a couple Kato PA shells if I have to get fancy.

[Cajonpassfan]

I think you're looking at one of these:



Protocraft has some info on this car.

https://protocraft.com/category.cfm?ItemID=8235&Categoryid=53

Jason

Jason, thank you very much, this is exactly what I was looking for. Very helpful.
So it would seem the Eagle scheme on these cars is just a bit too modern for my April '51 cutoff date; too bad. But it makes the photo of the steam powered Fast Mail at such a late date on Cajon so much more rare.
Thanks again. Now back to regularly scheduled programming.
Otto K.

[squirrelhunter]

Jason, thank you very much, this is exactly what I was looking for. Very helpful.
So it would seem the Eagle scheme on these cars is just a bit too modern for my April '51 cutoff date; too bad. But it makes the photo of the steam powered Fast Mail at such a late date on Cajon so much more rare.
Thanks again. Now back to regularly scheduled programming.
Otto K.

This link should be helpful as well:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://resincarworks.com/extras/kit5-01_MPxa_protodata.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwioyuTTz_z6AhWxmWoFHagNBq44ChAWegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw3bxcRbyF2Dzn4i8SNIXQYC. Resin Car Works makes a kit in HO.

As far as modeling goes, the Microscale MP express boxcar set would work for the Eagle scheme, but you'd need custom  decals for the pullman green.  I think an IM 50' double door boxcar kit would be the best place to start, although the side sills are straight the they have a fishbelly underframe.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thank you, that's very useful as well.
Otto

[Nato]

   That Budd, Planetarium (as MP called them) dome coach looks good even if the KATO model is really a model of a 1947 Twin Zephyr Dome coach and there are no cutouts on the side skirting, at the trucks, which the MP cars had. Nate Goodman. (Nato).

[Sokramiketes]

   That Budd, Planetarium (as MP called them) dome coach looks good even if the KATO model is really a model of a 1947 Twin Zephyr Dome coach and there are no cutouts on the side skirting, at the trucks, which the MP cars had. Nate Goodman. (Nato).

You're half right, I haven't cut the skirts out yet.  But, it is the right car out of a CZ set!

[ncbqguy]

I don’t have the CZ Burlington Bulletin and other material at hand this isn’t the documented genealogy, but at one point the MP was going to be part of the CZ consortium and have a connecting service feeding cars into the CZ.  Hence the similarity to those cars.
Charlie Vlk

[squirrelhunter]

There is a fuller discussion in Stout's Route of the Eagles, but Charlie has the gist of it. Basically MP had participated in WP-DRGW-MP St. Louis to Oakland passenger service for years, and with the advent of the CZ thought they could add a through coach Oakland to St. Louis via Pueblo. But the timings didn't work without having poorly timed departures at St. Louis so they got 3 CZ dome coaches but just used them on the Colorado Eagle.

I think after MP got the Pullman flat glass domes, they tended to pool the Budd domes more on the Dallas-El Paso leg of the Texas Eagle because the Budd cars had better A/C.

[Sokramiketes]

Those tiny truck cutouts are correct. But look dumb. I think the Q had the right idea with full skirting!

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[nkalanaga]

Or the NP and GN, which preferred no skirting, and removed theirs fairly early.  The Q's skirts were a pain if any maintenance had to be done.

But you're right - those cutouts are "dumb".  They're little better than full skirting for maintenance, yet lack the clean appearance of the full skirting.

Any idea why they did it that way?

[Sokramiketes]

Must be related to the brake cylinder on the truck.  I'm guessing it wasn't an issue for the Q's choice braking system, but the Budd shops ran into a clearance issue and modified the build appropriately on the Wabash and MoPac cars. 

[nkalanaga]

OK, that makes sense.