Re: PC: P1K X72A boxcar lettering

[rastaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Date sent:      	Tue, 29 Dec 1998 00:02:44 -0500
From:           	Walt Gay <waltrail -AT- erols.com>
Organization:   	Walt's Hobby Shop
To:             	penn-central -AT- smellycat.com
Subject:        	Re: PC: P1K X72A boxcar lettering
Send reply to:  	penn-central -AT- smellycat.com

Jerry,
This car would most likely have been assigned to a car pool for one 
of the many auto parts manufacturing facilites that the EL served 
on its west end. Marion was the Marshalling point for these cars 
and they where then distributed out from there for spotting for 
loading.
Bob Stafford

> 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
> 
>