Equipment Sightings

Last updated 8/25/04 (and no longer being updated)

This is the forum for various Penn Central equipment sightings. Starting in October 1996, I began to add dates to the sightings entries. All sightings are listing in chronological order. If this page gets too big, some of the older sightings will be dropped. Enjoy!

At the Waterville, Maine, Guilford rail yard were two Penn Central 3 bay rib-sided covered hoppers. One was renumbered to 464810 and the other to 7153. I couldn't make out the new owner, but the green was still visable on both cars as was the white lettering for the words Penn Central. (8/14/04) Michael Lawrence
The Youngwood Historical & Railroad Museum in Youngwood, PA, has a former Penn Central class N10 caboose (Photo) which is undergoing restoration. It was one of the last of its type built at Altoona. The museum is still looking for information about it, such as its original car number. (6/3/2004) George Neat
A couple weeks back I spotted a Penn Central trailer at Lafarge (formerly Whitehall Cement) cement plant at Whitehall, PA. Then yesterday I saw another one at the same place. It was a different one cause it was in better shape. I also have seen quite a few boxcars with Kelloggs reprting marks at Chapmans Yard in Allentown, PA, recently. (3/25/04) Austin Polchik
For a railroad that disappeared in 1968, there are still relics to be found hiding in some of the most obscure locations. I found two ex-PRR trailers(Photo) in a grain company's maintenance facility in Wayne City, IL. (12/14/2003) Kermit Geary Jr.
Here are a couple of shots of a PC 40 foot Fruehauf Z van I found down here in South Florida--Delray Beach to be specific. (Photo 1) (Photo 2) It's in pretty rough shape, but the markings appear pretty much intact and unaltered. (5/15/2003) Larry Lawler
I saw three H54A covered hoppers still in PC green with RFWX reporting marks on a Norfolk Southern grain train that left Maumee, OH about 7:45 pm May 3, 2003. The three hoppers (RFWX 464585, 464684, and 464671) were painted over with gray but the paint had faded away showing the PC worms logo and Penn Central name. It was really a treat to see the PC green still riding the rails 27 years after it folded. (5/3/2003) Dan Masters
I am a truck driver from Pittsford, Michigan, and an avid rail collector. I wanted to let you know that in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, north of the Ohio State line near Sylvania, Ohio, there are five old PC Grain hoppers sitting next to the grain elevators on what was once the old NYC Old Road. (5/24/2002) Robert Babcock
Here is a photo of ex-Conrail/PCB hopper 047214 in gray paint with black PC logo and lettering, seen at Lima, Ohio. (5/16/02) Ken
Here is another AEX covered hopper showing off its former heritage. (Photo) (4/26/2002) Bryan Turner
Here are some shots of AEX 6701 that I took today. This is an ex NYC/PC hopper with lots of the former paint peeking through. (Photo 1) (Photo 2) (Photo 3) (Photo 4) (4/19/2002) Bryan Turner
This 50 foot boxcar was behind Jerry's Auto Body on Greene St., on the far east side of Buffalo. (Photo) I approached the owner of the business, and after a brief discussion, he gave me permission to shoot it. I'm not quite certain of this, but it bears some resemblance to ex-NYC 40' cars that were re-built into 50' cars. (1/28/2002) Larry Lawler
I saw two PC boxcars while driving around in Waynesburg, PA back in October. Waynesburg is about an hour south of Pittsburgh. Both are parked along the ex-Monongahela (NS) line on the outskirts of town. The yellow car appears to be an ex-PRR X29 that's been relettered PC. (Photo) There was also a green car is a PS1 (I think), with the PC logo painted over. Also on the same spur, is a battered ex-PC gondola. However, because the gon was in a fenced in lot, I wasn't able to get pictures of it. (11/18/01) Chris Osterhus
On an eastbound CSX general freight through Fostoria, Ohio (ex B&O Willard Subdivision), I saw one of those NRLX type H54 covered hoppers (47108). On this one the Conrail tuscan paint is peeling off the top, ends, and sides so much so that the Penn Central green, emblems, and worms aren't hard to spot at all. Went by too quick for a photo op however. (9/23/01) Pete Bloom
Found a PC 3 bay salt hopper today. It was sitting on the Norfolk Southern/Rochester & Southern siding at Silver Springs, NY, in front of the Morton salt plant. It had been relettered and had its lettering and emblems painted out, but they were showing through again. (Photo) (7/20/01) Ricky Rupp
I spotted Penn Central flat car PC 715532 in Livonia, MI, at the Conrail "Shared Assets" area. (Photo) (7/5/01) Ken
Our family visited the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA on Fathers Day. Backed up to a loading dock at a warehouse across the street was a 28' pup trailer with the silver paint faded away revealing clearly the green PC worm logo near the front of the trailer. (6/17/01) Jim Falcsik
I was at Spencer, NC, today, and came across a PC covered hopper in jade green. (Photo). (6/9/01) G.W. Rush
I am a PC fan living in Southwest VA, originally from Oil City, PA. I now live in Norton, VA and am a sales engineer for Joy Mining Machinery. While visiting on of my customers I noticed a PC trailer used for storage. It is located in Wise, VA, deep in the coal fields. (Photo) (5/1/01) David Campbell
The October 29, 2000, Septa R7 public timetable features a picture of Penn Central Metroliners passing the former station at Cornwells Heights (Photo). Today, the station is gone and replaced by a shelter, and the original Metroliner MU cars have been gone for years. Still, it makes for some neat advertising. (4/7/01) Tim Dowd
On the CN's ex-GTW Holly Subdivision through Ferndale, MI: Yesterday afternoon I watched a southbound CN manifest amble slowly through town with approx 15 KELX 281XXX series boxcars spliced into the middle of the consist. No less than five of these KELX cars were still in the original jade green, with varying amounts of PC markings still visible underneath the fading whitewash. As best as I can remember the numbers were 281356, 281326, 281371, 281258, and one another one whose number I didn't get. (4/6/01) Pete Bloom
Just east of Amtrak's NEC line in Newark though the ex-PRR Waverly yard (now an Amtrak maintenance yard) and north of the Route 21 (McCarter Highway overpass) sits some former PC baggage cars relettered for Amtrak MOW. The PC paint (green and black) is peeling but still quite visible. Next to the cars are three PRR 40 foot boxcars. Jeff Jotz UPDATE: Here are some pictures of these cars taken in April 2001 by Tim Dowd from a passing train: (Photo 1) (Photo 2)
A jade green gondola (CR 565996, twelve panels, fishbelly construction) is currently sitting under one of the scrap chutes on the south side of Ford Motor Company's Van Dyke plant this morning. The PC worms are plainly visible and the paint job and gondola itself are still in good condition despite the hazards of its occupation. (3/23/01) Pete Bloom
Check out what came through Moraine, OH this afternoon! The gon is in the infamous "Pacemaker" (?) green -- and how do you like that herald! (Photo) Haven't seen something like this in many years. Had to chase the train down to Middletown, OH to catch it again on 35mm. (Note: This one is a real NYC gon.) (3/18/01) Gary Steubben
Two ex-PC gons, now wearing the NYC reporting marks of CSX, were photographed in Tennesee: NYC 598204 (Photo) and NYC 598235 (Photo). The first one still has the remains of its "red P" emblem. (3/18/01) Bryan Turner
PC gon 598987 was seen and photographed on CSX (Photo) at Ardmore, TN (which is a few hundred feet north of Ardmore, AL). As you can tell this is a rough looking car. Due to the low sun angle, the wide shot is shadowy. (3/3/01) Bryan Turner
While attending a sleigh rally in East Haddam, Ct, I came upon a PC trailer (NYC 207989) that the farm must use for storage. Written on the trailer are Ok 10/4/73 and OK 10/6/76. On route 82 (private property). (1/14/01) Dana Laird
In Nortumberland Pa sits CR #60809 (ex PC 253762), still in Jade Green Paint and white letters,numbers,and worms showing through. This car is an X29G(!) marked for MOW service with high speed trucks on. Stats are RBLT 5-58 3970 Cu Ft. This was a good find. Also there is a PC G46 gondola #598872 in Jade Green with white lettering, numbers, and worms showing through. (1/14/01) John in Sunbury
I shot a PC class G45 gon 592047 (Photo) in the Moraine, Ohio, yard this afternoon, complete with full herald and PC reporting marks. (1/6/01) Gary Stuebben
I shot PC sand hopper 32365 (Photo) last year at the Conrail North Yard in Hamtramck, MI, which is on the northeast side of Detroit, near Milwaukee Junction. There is another one just like it in the Sterling yard but not in a photogenic location. (1/6/01) Jerry Sundin
Spotted CR 627140 at JIT Terminal in Chattanooga and the car was in good shape with the PC worms faded into the green paint and the coil covers have been hit heavy with grafitti and it is class F-50. (12/12/00) Jason Trew
In Northumberland, Pa, sits a Coil Car (class F-50, built in 1970) in Jade Green Paint with the PC worms intact with a Conrail number (627733). Also I spotted CR 889361, a H54 Covered Hopper, with the Conrail red fading off with Penn Central showing plain as day. Next I photographed OLDX H54 #7104 which was the same way. The best one was the X58 Boxcar that was in Tuscan Red with the PRR keystone painted out with Jade Green paint with PC worms still intact numbered as CR 362209. (12/3/00) John in Sunbury
I spotted a PC company service sand car still intact and clearly lettered PC with a large "S" in a box (denoting company sand service) on a disconnected track at Lewistown, PA. It was near the turntable a few feet from the restored depot. It was one of the best-preserved paint jobs I have seen of a PC car. (11/23/00) Jim Thomas
I spotted and photographed a PC gon next to a crane in Perth Amboy, NJ. (Photo) (8/20/00) Jim Battista
I saw this last night in the consist of a 22 car freight creeping slowly through Ferndale, Michigan (along the ex GTW CN Holly subdivision): two KELX X79 boxcars, the first in standard boxcar red (didn't catch the number), the second car still in PC green (numbered 281316). The paint is still in very good condition, with little or no rust, and just a thin wash of white paint not doing a good job at all of obscuring the PC symbol. I've seen and reported these KELX cars to the web page before, but it's always good to see them still in PC colors. I can honestly say I've been seeing them for two centuries now. (8/8/00) Pete Bloom
spotted a Penn Central worm for ya. The car is at JIT in North Chattanooga, TN, CR 627130 was still in PC green but was getting rusty and the PC worm is faded but still readable it is in a mix with other Coil cars. (8/6/00) Jason Trew
A very battered jade green 50' gondola, of possible PC heritage, appeared in a string of CSX gondolas adjacent to a scrap metal chute at Ford Motor Co.'s Sterling Axle plant (Sterling Heights, Mi.) sometime around April 5th. The gondola is lettered and numbered NYC 566715, which identifies it as a Conrail hand-me-down to CSX. The number however, does not correspond to anything in the gondola section of the Penn Central Guide to Freight & Passenger Equipment. In fact, the closest physical resemblance I can find in the guide is the center illustration on page 82 (minus the interior modification), with the shape and number of outer panels being identical. Because the gondola was 1) sitting behind a 10 foot high, barbed wire fence, and 2) plant security guards aren't notoriously friendly to trespassing railfans, I couldn't check the other side of the car for markings. The ex-NYC track within this area is part of the Conrail shared assets pool and was once known as the Bay City subdivision. (4/10/00) Pete Bloom
I saw a PC gondola in with a mix of CR and NS gondolas as part of the track refurb crew (of the Boston - Portland, ME Amtrak upgrade) parked in Dover, NH. Although, I don't remember the number, I did take a photo or two of it. (4/9/00) Rich in NH
On a southbound through Austin, TX, I saw an X58 boxcar, still in PRR paint with yellow LD logo and "Cushioned Car" lettering in very good shape. Keystone was painted over with brown paint, but faintly visible, and had PC worms painted on top. Door was PC green, car had PC reporting marks, but I was unable to read the number as I passed by. Very similar looking to the X58 photo posted on your site. A couple of days later, spotted one of the NRLX covered hoppers with PC markings clearly showing through the fading Conrail paint. (3/6/00) Jeff Toreki
In late February I saw a PC boxcar PC 266109 (Photo) in Columbus, Georgia on the Norfolk Southern. It was in pretty good shape. It has the "Central" written below the "Penn" with a small PC logo. Its a single plug door and it looks as maybe it was painted twice. Down near the bottom of the car the green paint is a little lighter than the rest of the car. According to the PC color guide, this car was originally Pennsylvania RR. (2/00) Ken Roble, Jr.
I'm not sure if it is there anymore, but there is or was a Penn Central intermodal trailer behind a fence at a trailer dealership called Brad's Trailer Supply on Lyell Avenue (Route 31) in Rochester, NY. It was in very good shape for the fact that the last time I saw it before I left NY, PC was gone for 19 years, and the fact that the trailer was sitting at that very spot for all the time that I lived up in that area. (1/00) Douglas
There used to be a Penn Central 50' boxcar sitting outside a feed store on Sacketts Point Road in North Haven, CT, along Amtrak's New Haven-Springfield line. The boxcar was used as a storage building by the feed store. Near the end of 1999, the boxcar was removed and the feed store was torn down. (12/99) Martin Kaufman
I spotted a PC gondola on Nov. 26, 1999 in the CSX yard in Connelsville, PA. It was pretty rusted up, but there is still some green paint left, and the PC reporting marks are plain as day, although the mating worms logo is slightly obscured. (11/26/99) Joe Werner
I was visiting my folks in Pittsburgh, so I took the opportunity to visit Conrail's Conway yard. Surprised to find so much foreign power on hand, but even more surprised to see 3 PC 50' Boxcars (together) in a manifest freight moving through the yard. PC logos and sub-lettering painted over in a similar jade green color. Also spotted on a siding in the yard a PC gondola 592022, completely intact...rusty, but still green with the friendly worms. (11/25/99) Robert G. Miller
It's been a few years, but last time I was in Pocomoke City, MD (Delmarva division), the name plate on Cassatt tower (still standing) was in white Penn Central script on a green background. The tower operates the swing bridge over the Pocomoke river. Lee Weldon
Last October, I noticed that the Missouri & North Arkansas Rwy. purchased a group of Conrail covered hoppers. They are the H-47 class PRR/PC/CR ones. I'm surprised this wasn't reported sooner in the "Sightings" list. Anyway, all the M&NA did was change the reporting marks on these cars, NOT the numbers. And only one that I've seen so far has had it's the Conrail markings painted out. Now, the most that I've seen were in Conrail paint, either oxide red or gray. But, on 9-12-99, I found paydirt. It is MNA 888655. It is still in it's original PRR gray (aluminum?) paint, with PC green patches over the reporting marks area, high on the center of the car with Penn Central spelled out, and over the PRR Keystone, with the PC worms there. It also had it's "Heritage" number: 260931. Also, all the data was still original, aside from the painted-out CAPY line, with a NEW date of 7-65. There was also a PC green patch next to the reporting marks that says "Grain Load Only". The car was spotted at the George's Foods elevator in Springdale, AR. (9/12/99) Paul Bishop
There is a PC boxcar located in the old SOO/CP Bensenville yard on a siding near the new CP car repair shop. It is apparently not used anymore as the sliding door is off the hinges and inside the car. Also, I saw in Tilford Yard (CSX) in Atlanta a 50 foot boxcar with KELX reporting marks in a southbound CSX consist. The paint looked pretty good except where they painted over the PC lettering. (6/28/99) Robert Kakareka
There is now a PC car in the B&O Museum collection, although it is not on public display at the moment. I can direct anyone looking for it to the car, however. Here goes: On June 29th I had a chance to examine an interesting car acquired by the B&O Museum in Baltimore. Penn Central H-39, outside ribbed, open hopper 445439 has faded black paint, but otherwise is in pretty good condition. The car has a very small PC worms logo in the third panel from the right. It appears that the bottom 18 inches or so of the car were repainted, while the top was not. The Pennsylvania railroad had 10,000 cars in class H-39, with still others built in the similar H-39A class. The trust stencil reveals that this car was formerly PRR 667959. The car was built in 3-60. I find it interesting that both trucks have the words "N&W 29910" in raised letters on the sideframe. One of the trucks had what appeared to be a replacement bolster with "PRR," on it however. (6/29/99) Mike Shylanski
There is an RPO in the former Northrup Avenue yards (ex-New Haven) in Providence (maybe Pawtucket-it's really close to the city line) RI. The car is still fully painted and lettered for PC. (Photo) The car is easily photographed without going onto Amtrak property. Take I-95 to the Smithfield Ave. exit, #25 go east on Smithfield Ave which immediately passs over the yards. On street parking is available as soon as you are off of the bridge-park close if you can. On foot, cross back over the bridge, toward i-95. At the end of the bridge, but before the on-ramp to I-95 turn right and follow the chain link fence for about 600 feet. The car is on the east side of the yard right next to the main line,best light for photographs is in the morning. In Framingham, MA there is a 40' boxcar in full but weathered PC colors in the former New Haven North Yard on Pearl St. There is a paved entrance to the yard. DO NOT use it--park in the public lot nearby. (6/8/99) John Wilson
Through Ferndale, Mi, westbound on CN's ex-GTW Holly Subdivision, a Conrail powered unit train consisting of about fifty, very battered looking, vintage 70 ton capacity, 3-bay coal hoppers. They were mostly numbered in the 7000 series and stenciled SPSX over their original reporting marks, but SPSX #7013 still had a very prominent PC symbol on the side. Anyone know what SPSX stands for??? Webmaster's note: SPSX is registered to Progress Rail Services Corporation.(5/9/99) Pete Bloom
On US Hwy 31 at Grissom Air Force Base, IN, there is an overpass with the PC worms logo in concrete on both sides. Also, the Hoosier Valley RR Museum in North Judson, IN has an ex-PRR boxcar still in PC green with the worms logo and Penn Central lettering. (2/9/99) Aaron Border
I sighted an PC Pullman-Standard covered hopper in the consist on westbound Norfolk Southern train #165 at Statesville, NC. It still had a good coat of green and the worms and PC title was still there. Also, it had a small Conrail logo in the upper left hand corner. I didn't get the number, but the new reporting marks were SPSX. (11/29/98) Jonathan Hartness
In Morrisville PA, at an Amtrak NEC MOW facility, there is a PC baggage car in rough condition sandwiched by two PRR round-top boxcars. Numbers unknown--paint is pretty rough but you can still make out the worm logos and the keystones on the boxcars. Cars are not accessible, behind fence, but are able to photograph them from public road. Also, once in awhile, ex-PRR PS-2 covered hoppers in PRR and PC paint can be seen between Camden and Bridgeton NJ. They are used by Unimin Silica south of Bridgeton to load sand and are moved by the Winchester & Western before heading back to Conrail in Vineland, NJ. Cars can be seen on the WW property in their Bridgeton yard. Matthew R. Kozej
In East Altoona, Pennsylvania, on some tracks at the southeast side of the yards, running along E. 6th Avenue, are some PC cars, including a 40' boxcar, hopper, and flatcar in original PC paint. The gem of the group is a PC 38300, a former PRR X29 boxcar in yellow MOW service paint. And I know that at least one museum is looking at acquiring it! (All the cars except the 40' boxcar are owned by a scrap dealer--the 40' box is still owned by Conrail.) Jerry Jordak
I have seen more PC cars in Kansas City than when I lived in New York. In 1996 I spotted SIX Penn Central, and one PRR gondola in an eastbound Santa Fe train in Ottawa, Kansas. One month later I caught sight of a PRR covered hopper in Kansas City. Union Pacific in always switching PC green coil steel cars into Central Plains Steel in KC. In March I photographed a PC boxcar at the GM Fairfax plant. (10/98) Carolyn Koch
At the corner of what the locals call the "free bridge" from Phillipsburg, NJ to Easton, PA (the other two bridges, one on I-78 and one on Route 22 both cost $.50 from NJ to PA and are free coming back) is PC #1270, a stainless steel corrigated coach attached to a bar and grill/strip joint named "The Box Car". The black "PC" symbols were still on each end of the sides of the car and the number was in tact, but the "Penn Central" (centered lettering) was NOT on the car side. The end (sticking out of the bar) was painted PC pale green and the number was visable on the inside of the doorway. (8/29/98) Joe Jordan (Update: as of 4/2001, the car is still there.)
Conrail's Sterling Yard, Sterling Heights, Michigan: A Penn Central 2 bay covered hopper (#74204, Blt 4-54, and stenciled for sand service) appears to have taken up permanent or semi permanent residence approx 1/8 mi. south of the tower (easily spotted from the seventeen mile road overpass). (Photo) The exterior is in great shape for a 44 year old hopper, with very few dents, and only a slight amount of rust on the sides. The jade green paint and PC markings look almost new, and there isn't a hint of a CR stencil anywhere. It also appears unlikely to be going anywhere soon, since it's sitting on a separate piece of flex track only slightly longer than itself. (2/4/98) Pete Bloom
NYC 290/PC 4190, ACF Baggage/48 Seat Coach Combine, is in excursion service on the Walking Horse and Eastern in Tennessee, between Shelbyville and Wartrace. The branch is a former NC&StL (later L&N) line. The car is painted for WHOE in a blue with gold trim scheme based on L&N and NC&StL passenger equipment. This car was also recently used in excursions on the Tennessee Southern and Hardin Southern railroads. (10/14/97) Bryan Turner
Recently in Massena, NY, at the old NYC freight station on Railroad Ave., there are some old PC cabooses and open hoppers that are now being used by Conrail as ballast cars. Also, on the fuel tanks are the old Penn-Central worms on a teal colored tank. (7/2/97) SKildare@aol.com
I spotted at least three PC baggage cars with the peeling jade green paint along the "Dead Line", south of Croton Harmon on Amtrak's Hudson Division. (6/17/97) david9724@aol.com
On a southbound manifest along the ex-GTW Port Huron to Detroit line, spotted amongst five 55 foot Centerflow Hoppers, all of them with the Conrail Red fading to the original Grey, and with the reporting marks: NRLX and everything else stenciled out and numbered in the 46000 series was one with the PC worms logo very prominent. This was in Roseville, Michigan, a suburb just north of Detroit. (5/29/97) Peter Bloom
And on a related note to above, On 5/26/97 I saw one of these cars moving through the BNSF yard in Cicero, Illinois, and last on 5/23, NRLX 47096 was part of a westbound Canadian train exiting the same facility. The BN has a lot of these former Penn Central covered hoppers and that on 6/1/97 I saw BN 464510. It was brown with the Conrail lettering obviously painted out, but the PC jade green was showing though on the roof. Tom Jelinek
I spotted a PC baggage car at Springfield, Mass on 5/22/97. It's on a disconnected piece of track, and has wooden steps leading up to one door, so I guess it's used for storage. It's a short, heavyweight style car, with an arched roof and round windows in the doors. The sides are dark green, the roof is black. There are logos at both ends, and "PENN CENTRAL" on the letterboard. The number is centered on the car, and it has a white star underneath. The paint is in very good shape, considering it's over 25 years old. Peter King
There is a old wooden Penn Central shower car in Ashtabula at the site of the old reclamation plant on North Bend Road, north of US 20. It is in PRR yellow with the letters "PC" and number 38501 stenciled on the side. At the same site is a boxcar still in NYC scheme. At the NY&LE shops in Gowanda, NY is a PC engine #5067 (sorry don't know my engine types) that is looks like it is being scrapped for parts. It has worms on the nose and Penn Central on the side. It also has CR stenciled near the rear and NY&LE stenciled under the number. Some type of passenger car sits at Cresson, PA near MO tower. It is yellow with PC stenciled on the side, numbered 28156. Altoona museum has PC passenger car in jade green with worms at both ends #3931. Also of interest is a boxcar still in PRR scheme with keystone logo at Sewickley, PA. (4/20/97) Dan West
A PC boxcar [PC 183424] is at the west end of Conrail's Frontier Yard in Buffalo, NY. It is at a auto collision shop, used as a storage building and is still in PC colors. (3/97) Paul Evans
I found a covered hopper at BN's Fort Collins North Yard. The car was Conrail tuscan with the Conrail stenciled out. The car was NRLX 47396. The top 1/3 of the car's paint was so badly weathered, you could see the "Penn Central" lettering and about 1/2 of the worm showing through. The car used to be gray with black PC markings. (3/9/97) Gene Fusco (Note: This car may have been spotted several times around the country by members of the Penn Central Mailing List!)
At the NJ Transit Elizabeth station there is a Penn Central station sign on the Eastbound (to New York) platform...At the NJ Transit/Amtrak Metropark station in Iselin, NJ, there are at least two Penn Central signs which direct people to the parking lot from the Eastbound (to New York) platform. (12/96) Jason DeCesare
There is a Stainless Steel Penn Central passanger car sitting next to the "Boxcar" -- a strip club in Philipsburg NJ. It's located along the Delaware River across the free bridge from Easton, PA. Tony Smolar
Jade green paint jobs, slanted white serial numbers, and small X79 class stencils all indicate the Penn Central origins of the 60-foot outside-braced boxcars now bearing KELX reporting marks. I've often spotted these cars in the Chicago area, the last time being 10 October 1995 at the BN's Cicero yard, when it was obvious how the PC "noodle" and the words "Penn Central" had been painted out on the side of KELX 281363. These cars have 7 side posts and 8 side panels either side of the double 8-foot single-sheathed plug doors. The ends are 4 & 4 dreadnaughts and the flat roof, without extended eaves, consists of 11 panels, 9 of them containing X-shaped corrugations. The 1974 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia contains a photo of PC 281300, the caption stating that these X79 Road Class cars were built by Thrall in 1973. They were designed especially for grocery service and were actually being leased by the PC from the Kellogg Company, who now runs the 95 remaining cars from their home points in Battle Creek, MI, and Lancaster, PA. Tom Jelinek