Modeling 1968-1976-ish

[randgust]

I'm modeling 1972 ATSF and that's in the middle of everything.  Wonderful time to model.

ACI labels on everything although by that time it was clear it wasn't going to work right.   COTS labels on any new stuff, but they really hadn't been standardized to the level they were later and some cars didn't have them yet.  I look for photos, including my own, that I took at that time.  The start date for the single-panel stencils was '72 according to many sources.

Roofwalks on anything that was new, repainted, or shopped, with about 60% of the roofwalks off, some high ladders remaining, and visible rusting on the roofs where roofwalks used to be.

Still a solid mix of roller-bearing and friction-bearing trucks.   Loco footboards can still be on as final rule was Mar. 75 but new stuff has them gone.

On ATSF, the 'new' yellowbonnet scheme had just been introduced, along with the 'billboard' "Santa Fe" scheme; so there are some very fresh painted cars and locos around contrasting deeply with the "Route of the ______" 40' and 50' boxcars that are heavily weathered.   Have fallen flag road cars all over the place including PC, EL, RDG, LV.

Another thing I love to do is the restenciling; i.e. a freshly painted/patch portion of the car with new dimensional data put on for a reweigh/capacity change.    Remember that it wasn't particularly unusual for the reporting marks and dimensional data to get repainted and the rest of the car was still filthy.

Another thing that is a 'signature' of the period is auto racks.  They went from the "age of innocence" in the 1960's to putting up all manner of side guards to prevent rock damage.  I've added the side panels to my auto racks, but tops are still open.

No graffiti except for chalk.    Weathering reflects car age with about 90% of the cars weathered.   

[ljudice]

What I'm finding is a lot of interest in the era - backed up by a lot of models....

As a dealer pointed out - a few years ago Penn Central (or Conrail for that matter) models almost couldn't be given away.

But now we look upon them fondly...

Another interesting aspect is the high intensity electrified eastern lines were as close to European railroading as you could get in the US, and I have a fondness for that as well...

[Plumcrazy]

I maybe a little off topic Lou ,but a terrific resource for modeling  the Penn Central is the Penn Central video series by Emery Goulash from Green frog video . I bought vol.1 and liked it so much , I became a Penn Central Fan (modeler) . The videos start from merger to Conrail

Alex

[ljudice]

I maybe a little off topic Lou ,but a terrific resource for modeling  the Penn Central is the Penn Central video series by Emery Goulash from Green frog video . I bought vol.1 and liked it so much , I became a Penn Central Fan (modeler) . The videos start from merger to Conrail

Alex

Alex - I agree!  I actually have part of the set and will probably pick up a couple more.

- Lou

[thbguy]

I am looking at 1967 and 1978 as two of my periods for many of the same reasons. Southern Ontario had a fascinating history and I hope to cover about 50 years of RRing between 1933 and 1986; one selected year from each decade.

Best regards,
Michael
 

[Bluford Craig]

I think you will find this page on our Timeline Resource helpful: http://www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_026.htm

Craig

[MichaelWinicki]

Thank you Craig!

That is a nice resource!

[wazzou]

I model the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee in 1968-69.   

[randgust]

For the PC guys, one of the things I remember so well from the early '70's was what I referred to as the "junk of the month club".

We had a small local yard, and it is about 200 miles from Harrisburg.   When I got my drivers license in '74, one of the first trips I made was to Altoona.  And the Hollidaysburg car shop yard was just jammed, wall to wall, every track, with junker cars.  Literally for miles.

Which explained why out little local yard would get blocks - big ones - of PRR boxcars.   PRR Heralds patched out, with an often-crooked "PC" on them and a car number.   And a stencil on the side that told all "50 year old car not to be loaded for offline shipment".  We had a YARD full of that stuff.  The local agent explained that when they ran out of room in Harrisburg they'd send them up here.    The closeup I got that I refer to was PC 115186, showing in the 1975 ORER as a 50-ton, 40' boxcar, not any other details.   But if you're modeling PC on PC in that era, you need a lot of extra weed cover, lots of parked and unusable cars, etc.     Another favorite was and is the yellow heavyweight work passenger cars lettered for PC.  Rarely many changes from the original configurations, but beat like rented mules.

PC off of PC was one thing, PC on PC, particularly off the main lines, was another world, a kind of railroad "Apocalypse Now" that is still remarkable when you look at it in photos.

[ljudice]

Cool stuff!

I was a little kid in PC days and it (and the CNJ and EL) was the railroad I knew - so everything looked new and shiny to me...

Since I mostly saw the Northeast Corridor - it was probably one of their best maintained lines.