I have a pretty old C&BT Shops kit of a New Haven 40' PS Boxcar. I have been searching the prototype photos and the spreadsheets over at the Steam Era Freight Cars website. It appears cars 32500 through 32999 had Youngstown doors painted Black. and that cars 33500 through 33999 had 7-panel Superior doors painted Black. The model I have is 33215 and falls in between those number ranges. Any New Haven experts could tell me if I need the Youngstown or Superior Door? Black or Brown? High placards like the other NH boxcars, or low?
Answered my own question.... I found another website belonging to a gentleman modeling the New Haven in 1959, he had lots of valuable information on 40' boxcars. What I discovered was that the 33000 to 33499 series cars had the 6' Youngstown Doors, Apex Tri-Lok running boards and Universal hand brakes. Many of these cars were repainted early in service to all brown. Also this group of cars largely managed to avoid being rebuilt and repainted during the mid 1950's Black, Orange and White paint. So it is possible for the cars to remain brown in the nice script "New York New Haven and Hartford" lettering into the 1960's although by that time most had black and white "NH" replacing the script lettering. So my model would be fairly accurate with exception to the incorrect dreadnaught ends and would likely have some rough paint.
