Walthers Baggage Car Prototype

[Larry E Shankles]

Has anyone figured out what the prototype for the new Walthers baggage car is? Assuming it actually has one. Unlike the 10-6 sleeper, Walthers does not state any. My library is hardly all inclusive when it comes to the vast subject of baggage cars, but I can't find any that match all the criteria; nominally 72' long, built by PS, two equal sized doors and each door having three windows. Oddly enough in the Pullman Standard Library Vol 8 on the Rock Island, the photo of the only PS baggage car in the book looks like an exact match, but the floor plan says it is 80' long and shows two different sized doors with the larger one having four windows (which doesn't match the photo).

[SLSF Freak]

I can't seem to find one- - related question though; the image shows a corrugated streamlined car with several available paint schemes... one of which is Santa Fe in Pullman Green, what I would expect to see on a heavyweight. Would Santa Fe have had a Pullman Green streamlined baggage car? I'm by no means expert in passenger cars and even less in baggage cars so I really don't know... maybe there's a lot that hasn't been finalized on this model yet?

-Mike

[Westfalen]

All the photographic evidence I have of Santa Fe baggage cars show two windows in the doors. I wouldn't stick my neck out and say absolutely not but I don't believe ATSF had any stainless steel cars painted green or any other colour. Interesting to see what Walthers eventually come out with, most manufactuers seem to be outgrowing the age of picking a car and painting it for every road they can think of.

I'd like to see Kato do a seperate run of their ATSF baggage car like they have with the dome car, maybe a pack of two different numbers.

[AB&CRRone]

I'd like to see Kato do a seperate run of their ATSF baggage car like they have with the dome car, maybe a pack of two different numbers.

You can almost buy the ATSF baggage car from Kato parts department. The body shell with glass is $20, diaphrams $2, everything you need but trucks which are temporarily out-of-stock. MT trucks could be used.

There is no photo of any of the ATSF body shells so I don't know if they are painted or lettered. The corrugated (Budd) cars are sold painted but unlettered. I bought a few of the latter and use MT trucks with them.

Ben

[hegstad1]

I saw somewhere else that this is a CGW prototype.

[wcfn100]

I saw somewhere else that this is a CGW prototype.

Not if it's corrugated*, and the doors aren't the same. But the CGW did have three streamlined baggage cars that were 72'. They were the only sleamlined cars the CGW bought new. IIRC

Jason


*The Walthers' listing doesn't say if it will come corrugated and smooth side, but it should looking at the paint schemes.

[BarstowRick]

Santa Fe did have some green colored baggage cars used primarily by REA. The roof was black and the sides a combination of a silvery green, not pullman green. The green can best be described as a transparent dark green. I have a video, produced by Sunday River Productions, The Super Chief, where the car is illustrated leaving Needles, CA west bound first car behind the locomotives. Otto Perry, may have captured some of these in the videos produced by The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. Most of his photography was black and white and it would be hard to distinguish the car from the others. The car would have a black roof and the dark sides would appear lighter then the pullman green.

I painted up a O scale smooth sided baggage car...for a friend of mine. You'd have to come here to see the video I produced for his layout.

I did find a picture in my computer files...the picture is not mine and I'm using it for illustration only. Look back in the consist the fourth car. Note the streamline baggage car with the black roof. This may be one of those units I previously described. Worth a look see.

[Westfalen]

I did find a picture in my computer files...the picture is not mine and I'm using it for illustration only. Look back in the consist the fourth car. Note the streamline baggage car with the black roof. This may be one of those units I previously described. Worth a look see.

I've also seen photos of smoothside cars painted green but not fluted side cars, I think the Santa Fe of the passenger era would have been too image
conscious to paint over the shiny stainless steel.

One thing the photo draws attention to is the variety of head equipment found on most passenger trains, they didn't all look like they were squeezed out of a tube as we tend to model them.

[AB&CRRone]

A quick perusal of books published by SFRH&MS (Ellington and Shine: Head End Cars and Hendrickson: Painting and Lettering Guide) revealed no mention of fluted side lightweight baggage cars that had been painted. The car in Rick's photo may be #3431, a one-of-a-kind 63' 8" car built by Budd. On the dust cover of Worley's "Iron Horses" is a black or dark roof car that appears to be #3431. No clue as to the color of the rest of the car in a b&w photo.

And Santa Fe had no 72' fluted side baggage cars. Cars built by ACF were 73' 10". Those built by Budd were 73' 8" except for two one-of-a-kind cars (80' 4" and 63' 8"). There were a number from both builders with equal width doors but none with three windows in the doors.

Ben

[BarstowRick]

Hello again,

Here is what my reasearch has revealed. I went back to the video I mentioned earlier and tried some TV shots of the car. The quality of the picture is less then but it's the best I can throw out here.

Of the car, my dad a former REA agent said, "The car was first used by REA as an express car". It was painted for them.

I learned along time ago that I would have to make complete presentations to be believed. Something about my personality and it may be that I enjoy baffooning or balderdashing (my favorite fire side game) those around me. Therefore it takes extra effort to be believable.

When it comes to printed resources: I've often heard my dad say about railfan research, "They don't know what they are talking about" continuing "They don't know railroading". I've found subtle errors sometimes corrected other times ignored. If a author has his or her own take or ideas on the subject the printed material usually reveals it. Attention to details and rebuilds are often times ignored or actual operation of equipment is anything but what the author believes. Although, I find many of the resource books extremely helpful. Still, I take everything with a grain of salt a side of fries, diet Dr. Pepper and one Jr. Whopper. Remembering there is the company line and then there's what really happens.

Anyway on to the pictures...poor as they be. As I peer at the TV the car appears to have be a smooth sided, double windowed doors and it's obviously paint over silver, with silver trucks... they stand out fairly well. I can't read the header although in one pause i can see ANT...FE. You'll need to look at your own video for further clarification. This can be found on the Sunday River Productions, The Super Chief, The Streamliner Series.