Where can I find a photo of a SOO 40' box in the red/white/black scheme? Did SOO even apply this scheme to the 40-footers? (All this leading to finding out if the new Mantua 40' box in these colors is accurate).Also, on the SOO red/white/black cabooses, what color is the roof?
Chris, I don't think any 40' boxcars got the 'Colormark' scheme. That came about with the 4427 covered hoppers and the Fond du Lac-built 50' boxcars. But I will check back through back issues of the SOO for them. As for the cabs, it depended on the series as to roof colours. Cabs 1-15 had silver roofs 1966 built) and cabs 66-145 (1973 built) has red roofs, for example. I have a poster (still available from the Soo Line istorical and Technical Society for $3 plus postage) with drawings of the variations, including the brown cabs. I'll check it out and post later. Gary. ------------------ Gary A. Rose The Unofficial TC&W page TrainBoard Moderator and Member No.377 N to the Nth degree!
Thanks for the information--after doing a little research, I was beginning to wonder if in fact no 40 footers were painted in the newer scheme. Your response seems to support that, although maybe they did do some repaints of 40 footers--If you run across any photos, please let me know--Thanks.
Chris, ok, a little more info on the cabooses. 7 orders were made in total - Order 1 (1966 - no.s 1-5), order 2 (1966 - no.s 6-15), and order 3 (1968 - no.s 16-35) - silver roof, red stairs, fitted ladders and roofwalk. Order 4 (1969 - no.2 36-45) - silver roof, black stairs, red sill stripe, fitted with ladders and roofwalk. Order 5 (1972 - no.s 46-55) - as above but no roofwalk/ladders. Order 6&7 (1973 - no.2 56-145) - red X-panel roof, black stairs, red sill stripe, no ladder/roofwalk. Orders 1-5 all had what appears to be a Stanray diagonal-panel roof. Where I note silver for these, it could have been galvanised rather than painted panels. Repaints during the early eighties received a white roof and plated windows. Later repaints (circa 1987-90's) had several cabooses painted in a brown for ease of maintenance (ext. cleaning) and each was slightly different due to side sill painting treatment (white). All had brown roofs. As for the 40 footer's, I have found no reference to them being painted in the red/white scheme. It can be assumed that repaints were in the freight car brown only with modernised SOO LINE 'billboard' lettering on the sides. Starting in 1963 the North Fond Du Lac shops in WI were building the 7-post 50 foot boxcars which replaced their 40 foot siblings. Hope this is of help. Gary. ------------------ Gary A. Rose The Unofficial TC&W page TrainBoard Moderator and Member No.377 N to the Nth degree! [This message has been edited by Gats (edited 05 December 2000).]
