Hi Guys. Here is a discussion from 2011 when the Weaver cars were being developed. And yes, Ed Bommer had significant input on that project and the cars came out great.
First a Discussion about Color: (I copied a discussion from Jim Mischke on the B&O yahoo group)
B&O freight car brown came first, then bright oxide red in 1945-47
(2) This B&O freight car brown is nothing like the common model color "boxcar brown." It is a medium dark brown. Like polished brown boots. Kiwi brown shoe polish. Per the 1940 Circular F-60-H, the "Freight Car Brown" paint is mixed locally per Spec. 43-H-1. That seems to leave room for variation. It was also painted on cabooses.
The best we can tell, the bright red oxide paint was introduced at ABOUT the same time as the linking 13 great states herald. The herald memo is dated 6-25-45. Still looking for the paint memo. First mention in the known B&O memo trail of the bright red is "Freight Car Red, stock number F-60" in Circular F-60-I dated 5/1/54, much later.
Now the Lettering: (B&O HS Chris Barkan)
Attached is a diagram of 10 Lettering Arrangements with dates for the general era that each was used. Notice that many of them say "early 1940" or "late 1957" so they aren't by day or month. And these are meant to show when the Lettering Arrangement was applied; the last date that any car was on the railroad with that lettering is anybody's guess. That is why so many people publish picture books.
For our purpose I'll refer to the Lettering Diagrams as Left column 1 through 5 and Right column 6 through 10; i.e. L-3 or R-6.
You will need a Weaver Catalog page 3 or the Web page;
BR= Boxcar Red or in B&O terms Freight Car Brown;
WMR= Bright Red or in B&O terms bright red oxide paint
◄= Dead On
Weaver Color Lettering
Cat #
G23000 BR L-1 1920s - Late 1937 (but the Weaver doesn’t show the B&O over the Number on Left side- that may get corrected)
G23000, NEW 11/1937 This is probably not an M-53 lettering scheme. More likely an M-15 wagontop scheme with no herald. Needs B&O initals.
G23001◄ BR L-2 Late 1937 - Early 1940 "Early Kuhler" Dead on
G23001, NEW 4/1938
G23002◄ WMR L-5 mid 1945 - Mid 1946 "Early 13 Great States" Dead on
G23002, EC (East Chicago reweigh) 9/1952
G23003◄ BR L-5mid 1945 - Mid 1946 "Early 13 Great States" Dead on
G23003, EC (East Chicago) 10/1945
G23004◄ WMR R-6mid 1946 - Mid 1955 "Post War 13 Great States" Dead on
G23004, BW (Brunswick MD) 8/1953
G23005 WMR R-7 variation onMid 1955 - Late 1957 "Billboard 13 Great States" (the diagram doesn’t show the small B&O between the BIG B&O and the car number; probably later in time than 1955. The 1957 and later show the BIG and small B&O.
G23005, WA (Washington IN) 12/1959
G23006◄ WMR R-7mid 1955 - Late 1957 "Billboard 13 Great States" Dead on
G23006, DU (DuBois PA) 12/1956
G23007 WMR Variation on R-7 through 9; generally Late 1957 – 1962 and closer to 1960-62.
G23007, BW (Brunswick MD) 2/1963
Express Cars (C-16):
I haven’t found good diagrams that I can easily pass on for the Express Car (C-16) versions in Blue (G23008) or Green (G23009), the cars in the Weaver catalog are lettered to match the descriptions I have found. Note that these cars are not very likely to have gone off line very often if at all. You might see them on your favorite railroad if you are modeling CNJ, Reading, PRR, railroads that connect at Washington DC, etc. There were only 100 of them.
G23008, Post 1949 blue express car. Numbers not right though. Should use documented numbers for blue cars in service to May 1959 (1886-1899).
G23009, 1937-1942 green express car with B&O herald. Heralds removed in 1942.The 1900 number series was retired by 1948.
For more on the C-16 express cars I copied a discussion from the B&O group below.
Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:21 pm (PST)
> 1. During what years did the M53 express car conversions operate.
1940-1959 being slowly returned to M-53s beginning in 1949.
> 2. What modifications(if any) were made to the freight car as part of the > conversion.
> 3. What type trucks and doors were common on the
express car versions?
This required the addition of a pass through steam train line (the cars themselves were not heated), a pass through communications line and type 9-QA high performance trucks for high speed running. Exceptions were cars 1879 and 1834 which had Chrysler FR-5 high speed trucks and car 1886 had Buckeye "C.R." Cushion-Ride trucks. Outwardly, they appeared to look like standard freight trucks.
> 4. What passenger trains was it common to see these as express cars?
Mainly on the Mail and Express trains 29,31,32 and 40 but would show up on any train until 1949 when the began to be reduced in numbers. They didn't have train end doors which could cause problems on passenger trains.
> 5. What were the markings on the express car sides and ends? How about the color(s). Anyone have color pictures?
Painted green (the passenger car color of the time) but later 1879, 1885, 1889, 1894 and 1986 were painted blue. Markings were Baltimore and Ohio, Railway Express Agency and the car number.
> 6. What car number range and type code was used. Did these change as part of the conversion/repaint?
Once remodeled, the M-53s became class C-16 and were renumbered 1875-1999. When they were returned back to M-53s, they got their old Box car numbers back and were repainted to Box car colors.
Norman"
Hopefully you can find what you need there.
Gary
), but I can't decide on the color.
a bit too much for me, especially if Atlas has the molds and will be coming out with them later.
I would really like a couple of those B&O Wagon Tops in that Post War 13 Great States scheme. I think both Weaver and AtlasO did them.
