Hello all. Have been beating my head against the wall trying to figure out when the GN began putting those dashed lines of white reflective tape on the sills of their boxcars. I'm modeling 1962, and I can't figure out whether it began then or if I need to remove all the white squares from my models. Anyone know?
Good question. Scotchlite was invented before WWII. So it existed in 1962. Seems to me it was applied circa 1966. But I cannot find anything to confirm it right now. Boxcab E50
Can't help you with the GN, but I believe the ACL began adding white Prismo strips to the bottom of car sides in 1949. As best I can remember this was the practise on all types of freight cars whether painted black or oxide red. As far as I can find out this stopped about 1955 or 1957.
Nothing definitive as yet. Seems as though GN was usuing Scotchlite, post-WWII. But other colors such as gold or silver. The first white seems to have been on some cars in 1949. But no general application, system wide. Hit and miss.
I sure do appreciate your looking, Boxcab. You found out more than I could do. So it sounds like it's okay to have a mix of box cars, some with and some without the white reflective tape. That's the best of all worlds! :tb-biggrin::thumbs_up:
I've got a friend who is heavily into GN, and he's been helping look for answers. He did not know and it's made him curious...
I have some GN "Safety Slogan" stickers, (the oval and square ones that are about as big as your hand), that have the Scotchlite brand on the back of them, and they're from the fifties, that were used on vehicles, maintenence cars, and such.
Rocky Lives!! All these are approximately 4-5" in size, and all have "3M" (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) on the back.
