Hey guys, Another one of my infamous "odd questions" here... The other day, I picked up a Walthers Milwaukee Road ribbed-sided caboose (#991915). I was originally going to make this caboose a "bandit" with RFLX (the fictional shortline that operates on the RF&L) reporting marks. However, I was thinking that I might keep the caboose as-is, in its full, Milwaukee Road glory, but am currious to know how a real railroad would display reporting marks on said caboose? Would I need to add a small "RFLX" under the MILW logo and keep everything as-is, or do I need to replace all the reporting marks from MILW to RFLX? Just currious.
The Association of American Railroads only allows for the reporting mark of said car's owner on the car. Many class ones own multiple reporting marks (UP owns SP for example, but also owns ARMN for its refers) but I have yet to see a former SP car rebranded to UP or cary both markings. Locomotives are a different story. My experience with this is somewhat limited, but I know Doyle McCormack has a few cars in Daylight that wear his mark, DLMX since SP denotes UP ownership now. According to AAR, MILW denotes ownership of Soo Lines currently. It just depends on what era your going for, who you want to own it, and how true to life you want to be.
Let's clarify something real quick, the only reporting mark on that caboose is the one that says "MILW". If there's not an MILW on it, then you don't need to worry. I'll bet it's over the door somewhere though. Everything else, is fine to stay the way it is. Likewise, UP would strike out "SP" over the car numbers, but doesn't have to remove the "Southern Pacific". In looking at the Walthers pics, I don't see a MILW reporting mark on there. Perhaps because i was a caboose they were relying on the Milwakee logo, or I can't see it under the roofline. I know several Athearn cabeece I own have their reporting marksings over the doors.
Flashwave, I took the caboose out of the box the other day and inspected it, and found that it bore NO reporting marks, other than the car number (#991915) and Milwaukee Road logo on the bay window, and the car number over the doors. This is more or less consistent with the caboose that the Preston (MN) Historical Society acquired for its historical interpretive center, except that the #992095 actually does have car info. printed on the side. So, I think I'm going to leave it as-is and not really worry about it. If the winner of the layout wants to add the car data on their own, they can.
