Hi good people.
I was searching for a horse express car to add to the head end cars of my passenger equipment. This got me wondering what other railroads offered horse and Scenery express service? How far did they roam? I know the scenery cars went country wide, but did the horse cars to?
Pete.
I would think the horse cars could go pretty much anywhere, but I don't know how often they would have been used. I believe they were used to move like race horses going to a race, or horse going to another state for stud. "Normal" horses, like horses used in logging, would have just been moved in stock cars.
you need to join prrpro and prr group on io. one member just built a horse car and the prr car is at strasburg. where it ran can be asked but i assume it was mosty east coast tracks. believe me you will get more info then you thought existed
Quite sometime ago, I modified a Rivarossi coach into an express horse car, based on a photo of a CNR protptype...
At the time, I wasn't bothering much with underbody details, but a quick look a minute ago convinced me that I should go back and at least add some decent brake gear.
To build the model, I simply remove the car's "steel" sides, then replaced them with Evergreen scribed siding, along with a letterboard at the top and some scratchbuilt doors. I also fabricated a bunch of stirrup steps, using strip brass from Detail Associates.The lettering was done with dry transfers from C-D-S.
Since that time, I've converted quite a few "steel" coaches into "wooden" baggage cars, although I've not bothered trying to make a scenery car....some of the real ones had end doors, in order to accommodate oversize items.
I do pay a little more attention to underbody details nowadays...
...but I'm getting to the point where where I have less than a dozen more baggage/postal cars to build...a couple for friends and a few for myself, and especially fruit-baggage cars, which were very common in my area of Southern Ontario. Some will be Rivarossi conversions, while others will be mostly scratchbuilt.
Most were re-done as ventilator cars for use throughout the summer and early fall, then reverted to closed-in types for use in the winter, as baggage cars.
This was originally a Rivarossi diner, but the owner wasn't in need of one, so I've converted it into a somewhat shortened baggage car...
...it still needs a few details, along with some paint and lettering.
Wayne
I think Southern Pacific had 5 of the heavyweight 70 ft. 3 door horse cars. A nice photo of one (page 103) is in the book "Southern Pacific's Scenic Coast Line". I'm not sure how many years the SP cars were used for hauling horses, but according to the author of the book, they were eventually converted to regular express baggage service.
I model N scale, and I bought two of the cars (lettered for Southern Pacific) that were made by Micro Trains. I like to add one or two to the head of my heavyweight mail train, right behind the engine.
Jeff
The Santa Fe had a large number of horse express cars over the years, In the era I model, the 1950s, they had 15 in two classes; 1985-1989 (rebuilt from coaches) and 1990-1999 (built as horse express cars). Their main (only?) use was to transport race horses to the race track, mostly in California. Other horse, even if they were somewhat valuable (like rodeo horses), were traveling in stock cars. Brass models of the 1990 class were produced by The Coach Yard and Pecos River Brass. While the TCY model is clearly superior (also in price), the PRB model has opening doors if you want to model (un)loading of horses.
A question for the OP: What do you mean with "scenery express cars"? Open air cars on tourist railroads?
Thanks
JW
ndbprr you need to join prrpro and prr group on io. one member just built a horse car and the prr car is at strasburg. where it ran can be asked but i assume it was mosty east coast tracks. believe me you will get more info then you thought existed
I used to be a member of the PRR modeling group when they were on Yahoo groups. Been a member of the PRRT&HS years ago and rejoined this year. I remember the Keystone article about the scenery cars and there were some great pictures of one being loaded in Hollywood.
I'm not sure if the PRR horse cars went past Chicago. I believe they stayed on home rails.
Thank you guys for confirming that horse traffic was as numerous than I would have imagined.
Wayne.
Superb modeling as always. Truly a world class master modeler.
Thank you.
JW.
Scenery express cars hauled scenery for the arts, Hollywood, plays, operas, and so on. They were like an express baggage car with one end that could open for long items. Some had huge side doors too.
DrWA question for the OP: What do you mean with "scenery express cars"? Open air cars on tourist railroads?
Scenery express cars were baggage cars with end doors designed to accomodate scenery panels from stage plays. The scenery was on panels/flats 6-8 ft wide and 20-30 ft long. There were also backgrounds painted on curtains, which would be as wide as the stage and rolled up. As the theater company would move around the country, the secenery flats and curtains (and props and costumes) would move with them.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
This PRR B74b is named for the Texas Jockey Club:
https://digital.hagley.org/PRR_9827A?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=03dc4c3e60d89f9d5bb1&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0
This one for the Minton Hickory Stable in Barbourville, Kentucky.
https://digital.hagley.org/PRR_9828A?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=e7f9878b7ce4e26b9e9f&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=3
I understand quite a few well-off "Snowbirds" would winter in Florida and take their trusty steeds along with them presumably requiring the use of a horse car. Of course the PRR had many trains with through equipment from New York-Washington or Chicago and on to Florida.
There was a pretty extensive article in the V.49 #4 Keystone about the Maryland race tracks and the transport of the Equus ferus caballus required for the sport. Plus the many passenger extra trains the races generated.
Bowie_PRR_TTb by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
I checked the CNR book on passenger equipment, and found that they had 7 horse baggage cars, with end doors at one end.
They also had 15 horse express cars, with some later converted to baggage cars, and still later, they were fitted for fruit service.
I was surprised that there were no scenery cars listed.
It's only a guess, but in addition to racehorses travelling in horse express cars, I wonder if they also carried show horses, especially for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, which began in 1922 at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto, Ontario. It has been considered the world's largest indoor agricultural, horticultural and equestrian fair.
Pete, your kind and generous comment is much appreciated
doctorwayne —and still later, they were fitted for fruit service.
Road Apples?
Cheers, Ed
CN also had another type. This one lasted long enough to get repainted with the 1961 logo.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
wrench567 Wayne. Superb modeling as always. Truly a world class master modeler. Thank you. JW. Scenery express cars hauled scenery for the arts, Hollywood, plays, operas, and so on. They were like an express baggage car with one end that could open for long items. Some had huge side doors too. Pete.
dehusman DrW A question for the OP: What do you mean with "scenery express cars"? Open air cars on tourist railroads? Scenery express cars were baggage cars with end doors designed to accomodate scenery panels from stage plays. The scenery was on panels/flats 6-8 ft wide and 20-30 ft long. There were also backgrounds painted on curtains, which would be as wide as the stage and rolled up. As the theater company would move around the country, the secenery flats and curtains (and props and costumes) would move with them.
DrW A question for the OP: What do you mean with "scenery express cars"? Open air cars on tourist railroads?
Pete, Dave,
Thanks to both of you for the explanation. I was not aware that such cars did exist. Well, you never get too old to learn something new.
gmpullman doctorwayne —and still later, they were fitted for fruit service. Road Apples? Cheers, Ed
doctorwayne
SD70Dude CN also had another type. This one lasted long enough to get repainted with the 1961 logo.
Thanks for posting that...I was completely unaware of such cars...almost looks like another scratchbuilding project for me.
I really don't think that is an express car. More like the ride going to the glue factory.
I found a craftsman kit and decal set. Just have to find a pair of trucks that is a reasonable facsimile. The car is a B-74a and need 3D5P2 trucks.
As a side. While researching timelines for paint schemes for the horse car. I ran across this.
https://digital.hagley.org/PRR_11870
It said the date created was 1939-10-14 on the Cumberland branch. I thought pay car service was done by 1920. When did pay car service end? This would be a nice kitbash.
DrWWhat do you mean with "scenery express cars"?
Just read up a bit on horse transport by the Santa Fe in Stephen Sandifer's book on "Live Stock Operations". It seems that horses for expositions, fairs, and rodeos were transported in stock cars in freight trains, which were required to stop in certain intervals to allow providing the animals with feed and water. The horse express cars were reserved for race horses (which would nowadays ride by plane). These cars could be (and were) hauled in passenger trains, as they contained all the feed and water the horses needed and did not require extra stops. When not used for horse transport (as horse racing is seasonal), the horse express cars were used as baggage express or mail storage cars.
The PRR also had the B-74b with an end door like the scenery cars. They were for horse and the two wheel buggies for the buggy races. Horse racing was a much bigger enterprise than it is today. Someone doing a daily visit to the track could drop a whole paycheck betting on the Phillies. Yes there were a whole lot more racing back then. I don't think the horse express cars did much other service.
OvermodIn the days before movies and TV, theatrical productions moved from city to city on tour, taking all the 'flats' for their stage scenery.
And the theater company rode in Pullmans to the next city on the same train as their scenery. The stage had to be set up ready to go for the next evening's performance. Two reasons why the cars were elongated baggage cars equipped for passenger service instead of boxcars.
IIRC, the horse/scenery cars had collapsible stalls, feeding/watering troughs, etc that could be folded up out of the way when used for scenery. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate a shot of the interior - "Who'd be interested in a picture of an empty tube" Well, we would, a century or so later. However, given PPR's habit of documenting EVERYTHING, perhaps if you get a copy of the Keystone edition documenting these vehicles, that interest can be met
OvermodIn the days before movies and TV
They didn't even have TV dinners but had to subsist on fresh cooked meals. Quel horreur!
2910005 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
2910015 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
9594 004 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
9594 002 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
lot 282-006 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
lot 282-001 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
lot 282-011 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
lot 282-009 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Horse_BnO by Edmund, on Flickr
Horse_BnO_photo by Edmund, on Flickr
I always thought it was neat that the Pennsy had some of their scenery express cars named for famous thespians.
Horse_PRR_B74B by Edmund, on Flickr
Good Luck, Ed
Ed came through.
Loads of interesting shots. It looks as if AC&F was a major supplier of horse cars for the eastern roads. What are the two large cylinders in the roof of the Seaboard car? Steam heat or watering system?
Wish there were dates on the PRR photos. I'll be shooting for the mid to late thirties. Do I do the 13 inch letters across the top in two sections? Or the 8 inch letters between the doors on the left? Thank goodness no stripes. I dislike doing stripes.
Thank you Ed.
Ed always comes through, in my experience.
Something I did not see coming was the arrangement for the door in the center of the folding ends. It's a hinged door, in a frame hung from fairly substantial lateral tracks (like a barn door, but probably with boxcar-door hardware) attached on the backside of the door in question. That's the best of both worlds: the door opens as expected from the vestibule when the car is in train, but is easily shifted sideways, locked securely on its hinges, when the whole end of the car opens. That will be interesting to model.
wrench567I dislike doing stripes.
I agree! I've had my share of frustration with PRR striping on models. They always seem to fall on belt rail rivet lines
PRR_POC70Rltr by Edmund, on Flickr
wrench567Wish there were dates on the PRR photos.
These three are from the Hagley Collection. They are dated April 12, 1929:
PRR_B74b_5823 by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_B74b by Edmund, on Flickr
I wasn't aware that the baggage door windows could be opened on these "pre-porthole" style doors.
PRR_B74b-end open by Edmund, on Flickr
Note the bedding in place, ready for occupancy...
wrench567What are the two large cylinders in the roof of the Seaboard car? Steam heat or watering system?
I have to say the tanks would be for extra water for the needs of the horses en-route. Surely there would be an attendant who would see to feed and watering and in anticipation of a long trip would need plenty of water. The elaborate piping system seems to show that the tanks are easily drained and also the same pipe is used for the filling of the tanks.
Kept toward the ceiling they would benefit from convected steam heat to reduce chances of freezing. Unless used in horse service the tanks were probably blown free of any remaining water (note the gauge glass). Ordinary passenger cars generally used belly tanks that were insulated and arranged with steam "tracers" to prevent freezing.
The baggage/express cars were more likely to be stored in parts of the coach yard where stand-by steam was not available or if it was, rarely would head-end cars be tied into the stand-by steam.
Steam heating systems relied on below-floor traps that could easily be drained if cars were stored in freezing weather without stand-by steam available.
Ed.
Thanks for the explanation on the steam heat system. I'm looking at the Bethlehem Car Works kit. They claim it's a B-74a but it has the roof of a B-74b. I'm not sure if the kit has the end door of the B-74B or the B-74A. I've spent most of my day looking through my vast library of PRR books and Keystone magazines. It appears they started the Futura lettering in 1939. I like the larger fancy font so that is a good thing. Finding trucks will be a challenge.
The thing that strikes me about the end doors is the thickness and the heavy duty hinges.
Pete..
Glad that helped, Pete. Unfortunately I can not find an exterior shot of the Seaboard car with the water tanks in the ceiling. I thought the water-fill pipes might be visible. I did find two photos of a B&O and a C-P horse car with belly water tanks. Other horse cars didn't look like there was any watering system other than a small tank for the wash basin and hopper for the attendant.
In december of 1928 the "American Railway Express" company was re-incorporated as the "Railway Express Agency" and eventually cars were relettered to show the change. I haven't been able to find gold-leaf lettering for the "American" version.
I've done a few cars in the "Futura" lettering just to have a small representation of it. It is pretty challenging to keep up with the PRR lettering changes. I have some Fleet of Modernism decals that I'm planning to tackle in the near future. That will be a chore!
I'd love to find a decent PRR Scenery baggage car but the Railworks model sometimes commands several hundred dollars!
I have photos of some of the B70a cars with 3D5P1 roller bearing trucks that look an awful lot like the 3DP1 diner trucks once offered by Walthers.
https://www.walthers.com/pennsylvania-3d-p1-6-wheel-trucks-diner-version-1-pair
I've used these under some diners I have.
Here's some of my Pennsy head end cars:
Head-End_Dusty by Edmund, on Flickr
https://www.labellemodels.com/series-passenger-trucks-c-32_34_120.html?osCsid=iqlutbt83jgpmjb0ktsrlfqlr3
Here's a 3DP1:
http://prr.railfan.net/documents/PassengerTruckNotebook.html?page=page55.jpg&
Very helpful indeed. I have to say, your modeling is exceptional. Nicely done. Brass Trains .com has a NJCB scenery car. I'm shocked to learn that they only made 600 of the horse cars. No wonder they are hard to find.