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Did C&O Have Billboard Boxcars with the "Sleep Like a Kitten" Slogan in Brush Script?

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Did C&O Have Billboard Boxcars with the "Sleep Like a Kitten" Slogan in Brush Script?
Posted by Shock Control on Saturday, December 11, 2021 3:32 PM

Because I want one of these.  

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Posted by Shock Control on Saturday, December 11, 2021 9:22 PM

????????????????????????

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Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, December 11, 2021 9:26 PM

Here's three examples with the iconic kitten and The Chessie Route as the slogan:

 Chessie by Edmund, on Flickr

I recall seeing a few with "Purrrfect Transportation" as well.

Do you have a specific example in mind?

Good Luck, Ed

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Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, December 11, 2021 10:30 PM

I do believe I have an AHM 40' boxcar (PS1?) painted in that last scheme.  Somewhere.

 

Ed

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Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, December 11, 2021 11:22 PM

7j43k
Somewhere.

I picked up this (IIRC) Athearn/Bev-Bel 50 footer (right):

 IMGcolor2390 by Edmund, on Flickr

I "presumed" it was a foobie so I only get it out when I'm in the mood to run a colorful freight. At best I'm sure there were very few cars painted in these rare or one-off schemes.

Through the '60s and into the 1970s I recall seeing plenty of photos of railroad equipment displays here and there. Went to a few around cleveland and one in Pittsburgh. Quite often a handful of cars were specially painted for these industry, and sometimes, public displays.

https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt%3A8223.457903.RR/viewer

 

Regards, Ed

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Posted by 7j43k on Sunday, December 12, 2021 9:16 AM

 

gmpullman

Through the '60s and into the 1970s I recall seeing plenty of photos of railroad equipment displays here and there. Went to a few around cleveland and one in Pittsburgh. Quite often a handful of cars were specially painted for these industry, and sometimes, public displays.

 

 

The Great Northern painted 10 boxcars, each in a different paint scheme, in 1956. They were sent around the system for evaluation.  The one on the left was the winner.

You can read/see more in the link below:

http://www.gngoat.org/circus_boxcars.htm

Some, anyway, lasted in these individual schemes for quite awhile.

 

Athearn did an HO set quite awhile ago, and they've been done in other scales.

 

 

Ed

 

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Posted by Shock Control on Sunday, December 12, 2021 9:41 AM

Thanks all for the replies.  I have never seen those cars posted by gmpullman.

I tend to like 1950s boxcars that hype the companies' respective passenger lines in large print, prefarably 1950s-era brush script, e.g., "Way of the Zephyrs," "Route of the Streamliners," "The Route of Phoebe Snow," etc.  

I was curious if C&O ever did this, but i guess including the pictures of Chessie was as close as they came?  I would love to see an image of the car with "Purrrfect Transportation" if it exists.  

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Posted by NHTX on Sunday, December 12, 2021 11:16 AM

     If you have a specific interest in Chessie, try contacting the C&O Historical Society and pose your question to people that would have the answers at www.cohs.org?

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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 10:05 AM

I think the ones in Ed's post are the only ones to show Chessie. IIRC C&O had planned a postwar streamliner called "The Chessie" but ended up cancelling it before it ever ran. If that train had come about, maybe they would have used "Chessie" more in advertising her train.

BTW I suspect the "Purrfect Transportation" car was only done on a model or toy train car; I don't recall a real C&O car with that on it? Some toy train manufactures (3-rail) like to do fantasy / 'cute' cars sometimes.

Stix

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