Frisco pullman cars

Group,

After the Pullman Company was forced to make concessions to the railroads I believe the Frisco received several cars. If so, where these cars lettered and numbered for the Frisco or did they retain their Pullman lettering, etc. I have some Brancline heavy weight pullmans that I would like to put Frisco on but can’t find any evidence that it would be prototypical. If the cars where not re-lettered does anyone know what cars where assigned to the Frisco (name wise)?

Thanks,
Jerome
Ft. Worth

 

Thanks,

That was a good start!

Where any of those cars lettered for the Frisco or did they retain their Pullman lettering?

Jerome

 

At the train show in Fort Worth last week end (May 27th) a vendor had numerous lose leaf photo albums full of train pictures. Several contained Frisco passenger, steam, diesels, depot, and equipment. While browsing through them I found a picture of “Robert F Hoke” painted in red and silver (no striping). As Gordon Mott indicated about the Pullmans assigned to trains 709-710 ("Villa Superb" and "Villa Peerless") this car had Frisco centered and Pullman to the left and right of the vestibule doors. Unfortunately, there is no date or location on the picture, but it looks like it might be Oklahoma City. Anyway, I was glad to find a picture of one more Frisco owned Pullman lettered Frisco.

Another interesting picture was of the Frisco passenger train to Pensacola, Florida, arriving Pensacola August 9, 1942, with Frisco 1108 and four cars (1 baggage/express/RPO and three passenger cars, one of which looks like a Pullman or buffet car). Because both the North and South bound trains were nocturnal with early morning arrival and late afternoon departure from Pensacola, pictures of this train are hard to find.

Jerome

 

The Branchline cars were/are to be painted red/silver with imitation shadow lining using ATSF decals. I had been looking for a picture to confirm what you had said concerning the red/silver cars and was letting the group share in the information.

Jerome
Ft. Worth

 

Gordon,


The first car I did was a Rivarossi Pullman. I used Testors 1104 dark red and Testors 1146 silver to paint the car. This is the paint that I have always used in the past. For the striping I used Microscale RH-124 2in. Gold striping. I had to put each strip on individually and splice them together to fit the length of the car. It looks good, but not great, mainly because the stripes are to light (color wise) for the car. I used Walthers decals (I believe they are out of stock) to letter the car. The Walthers decals do include the small letter ‘Pullman’ which I placed by the vestibule doors. As for the name of the car I made one up. 

After doing this car I started looking for a better method of putting the stripes on the car and either through this group, or one of the others, the Santa Fe Passenger car – Shadow Stripe decal was mentioned. (87-1243). I then emailed Rail Graphics and sent them some samples of print and ask if they could make decal sets with passenger car names only (and a few needed car numbers). I now have about 15 different car names in red and gold, including Beauregard and Hoke. I am not totally pleased with the decals but at least I have names. If you want to email me off list with your address I will be glad to send you enough decals to do those two cars. (red & gold).

The two Branchline cars were painted Pullman green and lettered for East Copper and Pawnee. I decided not to paint them red and silver. I am now working on a Walthers paired window modernized turtle back coach. I don’t think the Frisco had any coaches like this but I had it left over from another project and thought I would give it a try using the Santa Fe Shadow Stripes. I just finished painting it today, sprayed with gloss coat and am waiting for it to dry before putting the decals on. I did notice that the stripes for the Santa Fe are spaced different for the top and bottom of the car. I don’t know if this is kosher for the Frisco cars. If not it will present a problem. When I get it done I will let you know how it turned out. For this car I used Scalecoat ATSF red.

The car that I just finished was diner lounge ‘Kansas City’, used on the ‘Kansas City Florida Special’. For this car I used two Atheran turtle back coaches and one Atheran streamlined coach. The length of the car is 82 feet coupler to coupler (inside 79 feet). I could not find the dimensions so I worked off the pictures from the various books. For the corrugation I used Plastruct N scale corrugated siding. I painted the car with Scalecoat ATSF red and Scalecoat silver. I wanted to letter the car Birmingham, but Kansas City is in the Oddball decal sets so I used it.

I had originally bought the above coach and a Walthers 36 chair dinner for this project, but decided I did not want to cut those cars up and went with the Atheran option. BTW, the Walthers 36 chair diner is a close match to the 641, 642, 643 diners.

I have used Testors 1104, Floquil ATSF red, and Scalecoat ATSF red. I like Scalecoat because it leaves a good glossy finish that you can put decals on with out an additional gloss coat of paint. Floquil seems to be the paint of chose for most hobbyist and can be found at most hobby shops. However, I think I am going to stay with Testors (for streamlined passenger cars and E7/8’s). I like the color and the way it coats better than the other paints. But, as I said, I have used all three paints and if I put the different painted cars side by side you can not tell the difference.

Maybe this has already been discussed and I over looked it, but, where the dining Kansas City, Birmingham, and Memphis rebuilt from the 641, 642, & 643?

Hope this helps,
Jerome

 

Group,

Below are some attachments of a few engines and cars that I have modified and or painted.

The first is a Broadway Limited E7 (2002) that I painted and lettered for the Meteor. I added a number board and used corrugated sidding from 'Union Station Products'. I could not resist putting Frisco on the side of the engine.

The third image is a Model Power E7 (2000) that had all the grabs etc., chiselled off and replaced with metal, lower head light added, pilot coupler hole filled in, and can motor on a modifed Atheran SD45 frame. Behind, in the distance, are two Proto 2000 E8's that I painted and lettered.

The fourth & sixth is an image of dining car Kansas City

The fith image is of OK Streamlined PS corrugated sidded metal (extruded aluminium) cars. These are nice cars, but don't have a lot of detail.

I hope you enjoy the images,
Jerome

 

Group,

Gordon, bellow are images of the Walthers passenger car that I painted and lettered. The ‘shadow stripes’ went on easier than what I thought they would. But I had a hard time getting them to set account of air bubbles. After a couple of days and the use of a hair dryer and needle they did snug down. One of the things I learned is try making your splices at a rivet line. All in all, the decals turned out good. It does take two sets if you want the stripes on the top and bottom to be the same. Actually you could do three cars with four sets. BTW, the door step on the left side of the cars is just lose, not glued crooked. I did not notice it until I was looking at the picture.

Gary, thanks for the compliment on diner ‘Kansas City’. The Rivarossi car was a Heavyweight 10-1-2 (I believe). I picked it up at a hobby shop, used. I would assume it is the same as ones that come in the sets. It is a fairly easy car to disassemble and paint.

Tom, I would love (and I think others on the forum would also) to see the photos you have of the Pullman cars. Perhaps you can post the images for us. It would be invaluable to use modelers.

Lets see some other model passenger cars and passenger engines posted. Maybe to go along with Mikes's prototype posting for the month of September.

Jerome

 

Doug,

Nice work!

Thanks for sharing,
Jerome