Re: PC: P1K X72A boxcar lettering

[Walt Gay <waltrail@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jerry Jordak wrote:
> 
> Now that we've recovered from the electric quiz, here's another brain
> teaser, except that I don't have the answer for this one....
> 
> Tonight I was looking through my Christmas presents, among which someone
> had given me one of the Life-Like Proto 1000 PC X72A boxcars. (Being
> a PC fan makes me easy to buy for--I ended receiving that car and two
> Accurail PC cars, but I digress.....) I was looking at the lettering to
> get an idea of how the prototype car was used and how the model would
> be used on my eventual layout. Anyway, I noticed the strangest
> lettering to the left of the door:
> 
> WHEN EMPTY
> RETURN TO AGENT
> EL MARION, OH
> 
> Which brings up the obvious question: Why would an empty PC freight car
> be sent back to an Erie Lackawanna destination? Desiring a second
> opinion, I pulled out the Morning Sun PC Color Guide (thank you, Mr.
> Kinkaid) and looked up the X72A boxcar (page 45 if you're following
> along). I put the model and photo next to each other and compared them.
> 
> Besides the obvious difference in color (the P1K car is lighter than
> the photo, but in opinion can still pass OK), they're weren't any other
> glaring differences in the lettering. The only difference I could see
> is that the car in the photo had a return destination of
> "PC ALTOONA, PA" (I think).
> 
> So is this a slip on Life-Like's part, or is there a reasonable
> explanation as to why an empty PC car would be routed to the EL in
> Marion? Maybe these cars were assigned to special service or something?
> 
> Later,
> -Jer
> 
> --
> Jerry W. Jordak               Time has little to do with infinity
> mailto:jer@smellycat.com      and jelly doughnuts.
> http://prozac.cwru.edu/jer/                      -- Thomas Magnum
> Acts 16:31   <><


Cars of foreign lines were often assigned to certain industries. I've
seen RF&P boxcars assigned to locations on the SCL for loading of
products like Kraft paper.

					Walt