40' box car color question

Discussion in 'Boxcars' started by skyraider, Nov 19, 2020.

  1. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    I have a set of O scale decals for a tan and chocolate brown 40' boxcar made by Protocraft. Supposedly, these were replacement cars for damaged / destroyed cars. 676b.jpg 676A.jpg Supposedly, all had Duryea underframes.

    Anyone know anything else regarding the cars that were painted tan / brown with red lettering? Were they only used for LCL service?

    Thanks,

    Paul Moore
     
  2. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The scheme was applied to some USRA DS rebuilds, like this car:
    [​IMG]
    130159 sure looks like a rebuild to me.

    I don't know if the cars were only used in LCL service.
     
  3. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Wish I could find those decals in HO
     
  4. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Indeed, 130159 was a rebuild.

    I have an old, old Sunshine kit of the Frisco USRA double-sheathed rebuilds. I don’t believe that any of the rebuilds included Duryea under frames.

    Snippets from the original Sunshine instructions:

    “Within the block of steel side rebuilds was a varying number of cars painted in a billboard style beginning in the late 1930s... The billboard lettering conveyed the Frisco’s transition from the drag freight era to fast, short freights hauled by abundant power from the Springfield Shops. The road gradually lost interest in the expensive paint scheme as the nation entered World War II, but cars remained in tan and brown for many years. Some cars were intended for on-line LCL use, but photos indicate that the cars readily made it off-line. Some car numbers of tan and brown cars were: 127079, 128000, 128046, 129171, and 130159.”
     
    skyraider likes this.
  5. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Thanks for the info!!

    Paul Moore
     
  6. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Don,

    These cars were done in HO, but they're older, and not the greatest detail and paint.

    Paul Moore 1.jpg
     
  7. skyraider

    skyraider Member


    Thanks for the great info.
     
  8. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Should have mentioned the color notes from the Sunshine kit: light tan for the sides, and dark brown (“much like a chocolate bar” according to the instructions) for the ends and roof and side ladder grabs, and black trucks
     
  9. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Is that a Train Miniature car in a Roundhouse box? I know I've seen that scheme on a TM car; not sure if Roundhouse did it as well.

    I could have sworn I saw these decals offered in HO in the not-to-distant past, but I can't find examples of them anywhere...
     
  10. skyraider

    skyraider Member


    I don't know. A friend sent me the photo of one of his cars when he told me about the protocraft O scale decals. Here is another photo of the car. The end of the Roundhouse box appears to say "Business" (it actually says bussiness...) in handwritten lettering. 2.jpg
     
    Ozarktraveler likes this.
  11. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Upon closer review of the kit, I’d not noticed that is has original wood sheathing and Camel door. The tan and red “FFF” was definitely only applied to prototype rebuilt boxcars.

    None of that negates the fact that the lettering and coloring is unique and eye catching. It’s too bad it was so ephemeral.
     
    Ozarktraveler likes this.
  12. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

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  13. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Indeed, years ago Walthers offered a set of decals for this Frisco boxcar. They were pretty nice. - accurate, crisp lettering and good color. I bought a set and used them on a Train Miniature car. I did this car in the early 1980's. Wound up selling it at a train meet. Sigh!

    When Walthers revised their decal line, this set was no longer available. Double sigh!

    Roughly ten years ago, Atlas offered this car, decorated, to their HO customer club, which I was member of for a few years. It was a pretty nice car, but the decoration disappointed me. I wound up with two of them. They, too, were sold. Triple sigh!

    I think this decal set would be a robust seller for the various custom decal people who are in the business today.

    K
     
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  14. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Since I've bought several sets of decals from Protocraft, I will e-mail him and suggest that he produce the HO version. He's already got the artwork, so all he has to do is print them in HO scale.
     

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