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Pennsylvania Railroad Interchanged Cars

Pennsylvania Railroad Interchanged Cars

Revised 10/11/05

PRR X29 express boxcars:


X29 2469 in Ft. Worth in Dec. 1962. Dick Kuelbs, from PRR Color Guide Vol. 1.

The most famous of all PRR box cars is the X29. Because of its low profice (13'3") it could be used in the tunnels of New York. Over 1350 of these were equipped for express box operations. Some had flat ends, others had dreadnaught ends.

Red Caboose has produced two series of X-29 express cars, RC 7028 and RC 7072. They were painted standard PRR box car red. Andy Cich says they were never washed, so weather them heavily. as Stauffer said in his book, Pennsy Power III, "They ranged the entire system except for the tracks through the car washer. They were the filthiest passenger cars on the railroad." It many photos they almost look Pullman Green! PollyScale weathered black has a greenish shade to it which could probably be sprayed in a thin wash to give this effect. The 1953 OER lists numbers for 2000-2499, 49314-57641, 97949-103324, 566091-574090. Be careful, as some Red Caboose cars don't match these numbers.

An article on X29 cars appears in Model Railroading, April, 1987 and in Model Railroader, January, 1985

Express Box X-42 (2540-2549)


Passenger express 2541 was at Harrisburg in June, 1972. Craig Bossler, from PRR Color Guide vol. 1.


As built photo, PRR

These cars were built in August, 1950 and equipped with passenger trucks. They measured 65' long (60' inside) and had two 7' doors on each side. They were used chiefly as mail storage cars.

Precision Scale has announced a painted brass version for $213.

Baggage-express:

B60

The B60 class had 40 cars overhauled at Altoona shops 1964-65. These were 60' cars (63'7" over couplers) and came with clerestory roofs. The B60 and B60B totaled over 900 cars.

B60B


9229, Dallas, TX, April, 1968. Dick Kuelbs, from PRR Color Guide, Vol. 1.


9021, Nov., 1968. Paul C. Winters, from PRR Color Guide, Vol. 2.

The 200 B60B baggage cars were built by ACF in 1928. They measured 60' inside length and ran on 2D-P3 trucks. The B60b's have three more panels per side than the B60's; one panel between the door and one on either side.

Excellent drawings appear in Pennsylvania Railroad Heavyweight Passenger Equipment Plan and Photo Book.

Eastern Car Works kit 1010 models this car. Bethlehem car works used to do the model (Kit #430) but sold the dies to Eastern. The Bethlehem kit came with excellent Middle Division decals. Eastern Car Works trucks #900l, PRR 2D-P2 trucks finish the kit. Hell Gate Models produces an N scale version in both the "baggage" and "express messenger" versions.

Walthers has the cars ready to tun in a variety of paint schemes.

B62

These cars are available from Bethlehem Car Works as kit #432 for $59.95.

B62B


7942 was in Milwaukee in May, 1968. Ken Douglas, from PRR Color Guide, Vol. 2

These units were acquired by the PRR from the Reading in 1964.

B70 (6000-6054)

These 55 cars have noticeable double outside bearing extending from each of the 3C-PI trucks. They were built with wooden doors and rectangular windows, but those gave way to metal doors and round windows when refurbished around 1942. Length over couplers was 74'10".

Excellent drawings appear in Pennsylvania Railroad Heavyweight Passenger Equipment Plan and Photo Book.

B70A: Theatrical Scenery Car (6055-6099)


6073, Othello. O. H. Borsum, Joe Shine collection, from The Warbonnet, 2/97.


6064, Cordelia,on the MKT at Dallas, TX, October, 1963. Dick Kuelbs, from PRR Color Guide, Vol. 1.

Haver de Grace, 5828, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania collection.

These cars were originally constructed with wooden doors and rectangular windows. The photo at the bottom has it named as a horse car, but the upper two photos are in scenery duty. They were later reconstructed with metal doors and round windows. A special feature of these cars was a full end door that could be opened for full access of long objects. They were 74'1" outside, 69'9" inside. Exterior doors were 6' and 10'10." The end door is 8'2" wide and 8'6" high.

Pennsy Power III indicted that some of these cars were classified as Horse cars, per the name above. However, discussion on the PRR list on the internet concluded that the above photo has been doctored, especially since the name is misspelled. The real car number 5828 was a B74b and was indeed named Harve De Grace (Andy Miller)

"There were no class B70a cars modified for use in hauling race horses however there were plans for modifying one to carry live salt water seafood in tanks (don't know if they were carried out though) and plans for one car to be modified into a full 'bar' car (again I don't know if they were carried out)." Nicholas Seman

The Warbonnet reports that 5084 and 6069 came through Lubbock in 1958 on the California Special. 9153 was in a consist in 1956. Bethlehem Car Works offers two versions of this car, #436 and 436A at $59.95.

Excellent drawings appear in Pennsylvania Railroad Heavyweight Passenger Equipment Plan and Photo Book.

B70B

The B70B class consisted of 6 different designs, all converted from an earlier class of car.


B74A, Horse Car

B74B, Horse Car (5820-5869)


5826. Harry Stegmaier collection, from PRR Color Guide, Vol. 1.


5849, the Glen Riddle Farm, 78'2.5" long. PRR photo.

PRR horse express cars were imported by NJ/Custom Brass, and there was an old Red Ball kit. Bethlehem Car Works produces one (kit 437, $59.95).

Excellent drawings appear in Pennsylvania Railroad Heavyweight Passenger Equipment Plan and Photo Book.

 



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