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Early Alco road switchers ran long end first??

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Kozzie-- Not an unusual sight at all, mate, provided they are express boxcars (if they're on the front) and the Alco (preferably an RS2 or 3) has a steam generator (unless it's summer and the cars have other than steam ejector A/C). You probably ought to hang at least 1 bag and probably an RPO, or perhaps use an RPO/bag combine, and REX box or two with maybe some RR express boxes (generally somewhat different paint and high-speed trucks--something that would lend an interesting air just by itself). Or (1) put the boxcars on the back, possibly with a caboose, OR (2) bite the bullet, put mixed freight on the front, hang an old coach or combine on the rear, and call it a mixed train. FYI the T&NO (SP eastern lines) ran a Dallas-Beaumont mixed every night up through the early 50's, using a 60' combine and a really neat 40' (YES, 40'!) Harriman RPO. The cars used to be available in brass (probably still are on the used market), and I think MR had drawings about 40-50 years ago if you have access to some old ones. My recollection (help me out, NJ & NY types) is the NYSW (Susquehanna--"Suzy Q") up in NJ/NY ran RS1's on some of their commuter trains. And Erie certainly used RS's on theirs. I think if you ask around here, you'll find lots of guys who recall RS's on passenger trains all over the US, usually secondary runs or at the end of service. You can find articles on the express box cars. Here are some examples: CRIP, ATSF, some MKT and probably lots of others were green. Some had Allied full cushion trucks, at least initially. PRR had a whole fleet of converted X29's (red). The rest of Katy's were Sloan Yellow like the others except they had "Railway Express Agency Storage Mail" stenciled below "The Katy Serves the Southwest". MP/T&P painted theirs Eagle scheme blue and gray etc.. Also consider a converted troop sleeper or two, painted green--lots of roads had various versions including CB&Q/C&S/FW&D--I understand Walthers or somebody now has some credible plastic kits of various mutations of ex-troop sleeper baggage/express cars. Or go native! Try the NdeM--anything goes, particularly on a mixed! Including a caboza on the rear behind the coche (segunda, of course), and pigs, chicken, sheep, etc. In thinking about it, what you're suggesting would not only be unusual, but would be a short train generally true to prototype, and it could switch more if it were a mixed. Let us know how it turns out.[8D][C):-)]
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