Atlas or MTL NWP billboard lettering box proven as real .........confusing

[JMaurer1]

The black billboard lettering was only applied to the 22 (confirmed 22) express overnight cars. When the overnight was discontinued they painted them with the billboard paint. This was done in 1956 (starting in August). I have a photo that shows the red and yellow 'fireball' showing through the billboard paint that confirms this.

I've begged MT to do this car for at least 15 years. The did the other two I think to appease me. Now if I could only get them to do the caboose. Of course I don't need any cabooses because years ago I had dry transfers made for the billboard, BCR, and cabooses and lettered my own. Of course when Atlas did the billboard, they did it better since painting the herald in N scale was not the easiest thing to do well. Clover House does ALL of the different variations of cars, including passenger cars, cabooses, flats, express, etc...in HO (a few are in N like billboard caboose). At least you can see what the lettering should look like. They also offer the P&SR overnight lettering. Once again, to 'outdo' the NWP, P&SR lettered EVERY freight car they had (not very many) as overnight with their slogan 'First to arrive, Last to leave' (meaning their paddle wheeler that ran between San Fransisco and Petaluma via Petaluma creek). It had to leave first since it needed to travel 38 miles instead of the 9 miles the NWP traveled from Sausalito to SF. BTW, all of the P&SR cars were 36 foot so they were getting a bit old by the 40's when the overnight wars really escalated.

Why pay when I'm stupid enough to give the info away for free. All I ask is you also contact MT and ask for the cabeeses as well.

 

[up1950s]

Thank you again , I would also like the NWP cabooses .

So given that info coupled the the info on this link http://www.protocraft.com/category.cfm?ItemID=321&Categoryid=20 showing all the numbers of the cars that had the Fireball scheme we also know all the numbers that COULD be used for the Billboard scheme . Thus if you have a car numbered 19xx in the fireball scheme it shouldn't be running with that same number in the Billboard scheme and vice versa . Maybe Atlas and MTL could be cool enough to split the 22 numbers in half and each do 9 more cars in Fireball and Billboard .

I have some info I just found on S-4 NWP stock cars , and S-5 NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC stock cars .
Still digging into that , 60 or more . Looks like easy Microscale decal jobs ahead .

[JMaurer1]

The hard part is finding the correct stock car. N Cat made a brass kit for the SP stockcar but they are no longer selling product. I do have two kits, but haven't tried building them yet (still working on other N Cat kits).

[up1950s]

The hard part is finding the correct stock car. N Cat made a brass kit for the SP stockcar but they are no longer selling product. I do have two kits, but haven't tried building them yet (still working on other N Cat kits).

Maybe somebody will pump out a 36' stockcar shell that fits the Athearn and or Roundhouse frame . How many roads used that same NWP stockcar design ? If it comes to pass I would wish that it comes WITHOUT molded on lettering or logo boards . This would be a plus to make it correct for other roads by the modeler adding the things where appropriate to the road modeled by using real or plastic strip of whatever thickness they choose .

Were both the S4 and S5 36' ? Did they look alike?

[Mike Madonna]

Richie,
I believe the -4 and -5 class are VERY similar to the -8s and were 36'.  The UP had the -4 class (thanks to Mr. Harriman), the NWP had the -4 & -5 stock cars.
Here you go.....

[up1950s]

Richie,
I believe the -4 and -5 class are VERY similar to the -8s and were 36'.  The UP had the -4 class (thanks to Mr. Harriman), the NWP had the -4 & -5 stock cars.
Here you go.....

Thank you , that looks great . I could use a bakers dozen or more of those .

[up1950s]

Well I just got that SP vol 4 book that Paul mentioned . Good news and bad news . The 22 black cars with the fireball scheme and then repainted  again black with the billboard NorthWestern Pacific scheme were not intended for interchange service , that's why the dimensional data is not applied . Some times one would run away from home rails but that was an oddity . Well that sucks for me . It also explains why we don't see them in freight trains . Another reason is they were used intentionally for their passenger trains . Now I know why there were / are modelers doing BCR versions with the billboard lettering . They like them as I  do and wanted them for interchange service . Crap , I am not going that route . I will however do some BCR NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC and NWP boxes . The more ya know . the more ya hate you learned what you know . 

[JMaurer1]

I guess I could have been more clear about that. The Store Door and Overnight (and later the billboard cars) had steam pipes so they could run in NWP (mostly the Redwood) passenger trains. There would be 1-4 cars left at the larger stations and when the afternoon southbound passenger train came to town, they would cut the power off, pick up the express cars, and tie back onto the train and leave town. In the morning, things worked the same but they did things in reverse: northbound morning train dropping off the cars. This way the express freight was in SF by night and on the NWP by morning. Kind of like Amazon Prime...

[babbo_enzo]

The hard part is finding the correct stock car. N Cat made a brass kit for the SP stockcar but they are no longer selling product.
I do have two kits, but haven't tried building them yet (still working on other N Cat kits).

Hei J..., if for any reason you want to part of one or both.. drop me an MP, put in an envelope and ask for a Paypal or any other money !!1
I'm so SAD to have not order some to TomCAT at the time!
Have see a Tomcat model made by Ken Harstine and is so sweet!
Espee stockcars are different from the RTR models available.

[Mike Madonna]

Enzo,
Scroll up and you'll see another one 

[JMaurer1]

TrainCat made some great cars, especially SP. He is missed (prayers still going out to him and his family). I would take every stock car of his I could get as well. BTW, I did decal a MDC stock car for the NWP since at the time (YEARS ago) there weren't any other 36' stock cars available...and there are only a hand full of people who would know that it wasn't prototypical (but I am one of them so I don't really run the car).