What were these used for? Same thing as the modified passenger cars with the big window and theater seats on the end?
You have me curious, too! Have never seen anything quite like this unit. I wonder if there is any track geometry equipment inside? Or if it's intended more for officials to eyeball the appearance of any rights of way? Boxcab E50 [ 04. March 2004, 23:54: Message edited by: BoxcabE50 ]
OK, just found out it was for visual inspection only, for railroad brass and marketing to show potential customers property along the line. So, it was used kind of like the modified passenger cars still out there today. I guess UP must have got rid of it because they did not want to be embarrassed dragging folks around in a modified box car.
I suppose that you are correct. UP probably disposed of this car. Definitely unique. Something that would be great in preservation somewhere. Boxcab E50
According to "MKT Lines in Color" by Raymond B. George Jr. The car was built at Denison in 1973 under the orders of VP of Operations Billy R. Bishop because business cars 400 and 401 had been sold in 1971. In 1989 it was given to city of Denison. After months of inaction by the city, UP repossessed it and sold it to a private individual.
The car was supposed to have gone to the Red River Railroad Museum in Denison. That deal did not fly so somehow it ended up at Fort Sill outside of Lawton, Oklahoma. From what I just heard on another list, it is still there.
From what I have gathered it is now painted up in field artillery colors and called the "Commander's Car" at Fort Sill. I don't know if it belongs to a private individual or the US Army. As long as they don't decide to use it for target practice, it should be safe. As for preserved, it would be nice if they repainted it back to its original colors.
Well, I guess that for now, we can say that it's "surviving." Whether safe or preserved, time will tell us. Boxcab e50
New information on this car. The US Army bought it to use as a guard car on military movements. However it never saw service as such from what I have been able to find out.
This thread is only what, 7 years old....Anyway this has to be my favorite piece of Katy equipment. I built an HO scale model of this car a couple of years ago, let me see if I can post pictures here.
Coincidentally, I came across it a few days ago and edited it to repair a broken link to the prototype photo.
Russell, Flash & Charlie - Thanks guy's, glad I happened upon this thread as well. Russell, truth be told I used your photo's plus some others I found on the net to build the model, it took me about 8 months off and on as work allowed. Scott Sanders Katy, Tx
Scott- I've seen your work in the RR Modelers group in Facebook. Awesome stuff! Please, feel free to share here. I'm not a big slobbering Katy guy, but I used to chase Katy in the '80s in Kansas & Oklahoma until that awful day in August 1988.
Bob - Thanks buddy but I was sure that everyone is a big slobbering Katy fan..... I too was not very impressed in August of '88, but at least I can still look at her in model form. is it okay to post MKT models in this section or just in the HO section?
