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Express Box FE-29
ATSF photo.
Santa Fe's Topeka shops made 50 Express Box Cars, FE-29, in 1952. These 50 (9700-9749) were painted coach green with Dulux lettering like the FE-24 series.
The FE-29s were 50' long with end doors, improved Dreadnaught ends, diagonal panel roofs. The sides were divided into 5 and 8 riveted panels. The SFH&MS book on box cars has photos of the side and ends to help the modeler.
The Proto 2000 model has the look but is inaccurate. Of course it does not come in ATSF express paint. The Proto model has 4 and 7 side panels and early Dreadnaught end. The door end appears perfect. The roof walk should be Transco diamond-pattern expanded metal, not wood. The doors supplied, 15' double Youngstown doors, are not correct, but very close. For all but the purist, the Proto car can be painted in Santa Fe's coach green, decalled with Dulux gold lettering, and a metal roof walk substituted for the wood walk supplied.
These cars lasted until Amtrak.
Reference:
Ellington, Frank M., and Joe. W. Shine. Head End Cars: Santa Fe Railway: Passenger Car Reference Series – Volume one. Highlands Ranch, CO: Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society, 1999. Page 141 has a brief description and photo of 9700.
Hendrickson, Richard H. Furniture and Automobile Box Cars Railway Rolling Stock Reference Series – Volume Three. Highlands Ranch, CO: Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society, 1997. This is the best reference. Page 109-113 describes the cars with good detail photos of 9700 from both ends and the side.
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