What is the meaning of the PC lettering?
Does it refer to the compartmenting?
What year was this paint scheme used?
Original Post
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Pullman Compartmentalized Equipped and the paint scheme was used from 1941 through the 1960's.
This info is from GN color equipment pictorial Book One Box Cars and Stock Cars.
The only cars I could find with the PC markings were 50' cars renumbered from series 39000 - 39339 to series 39450 - 39499 when Pacific Car & Foundry added Car Pak loaders to them in 1958. The PC logo is a bit different from the one on your model. Other cars in the orange and green scheme were 40' express boxcars 2501-2549 and 40' boxcars with DF2 markings (Evans Damage Free load restraints) series 39392-39399, 39400-39414 (built by Pullman-Standard), 39415-39421, and 39423-39449. Here's a link to 39490 (don't know why that number wasn't mentioned in above info with the PC logo:
http://www.gn-npjointarchive.o....Newby.Bk4img382.jpg
It appears the paint scheme was used to denote specially equipped cars such as express boxcars and loader equipped box cars.
Hope this is the info you were looking for.
Ron Ferrel
Oops, 39490 was included in the series.
Dave & Ron
Thank you both for the great information.
Pullman Compartmentalized worked in the search and this is what was found.
GREAT NORTHERN 40/50' BOX CAR DECAL set, orange/green "loader" scheme, black/white lettering. Was introduced in 1953, when it was applied to 40’ cars (with 8’ doors) in the 21940-949 series and to 50’ cars (re-built from single sheathed auto cars) in the 39340-349 series. This scheme was later used on other cars (including 50’cars 39350-39371 in 1955 and 40’cars 39400-39414 and 39423-39437). The Great Northern lettering was changed from the standard small size to the larger“Empire Builder” style in 1956. This set is absolutely correct for the 40’21940-21949 cars as originally painted, down to the “PC” (for Pullman Compartmentalized Equipped) lettering and the St. Cloud Built Date (New F-12-53). It is also correct for the cars in the post 1956 scheme with DF-2 loaders (39350-371 and 39423-437) and the post 1956 scheme used on the express box cars in the 2501-2524 and 2525-2549 series. This set will letter (2) cars.
Looks like these cars were used in passenger service, thus rarely seen in a freiight train out east.
At least I was 1/2 right. But I was only talking about the colors for 41-67.Maybe I'm wrong on that part. Have a great Christmas.
Dave Ripp.
Looks like these cars were used in passenger service, thus rarely seen in a freiight train out east.
Charlie
No, quite the opposite is true.
The GN had a few "box car" type storage mail or express refrigerator cars painted in the Empire Builder Omaha Orange and Pullman Green colors. These cars had passenger trucks, steam lines, etc for passenger train service and received AAR mechanical classifications BX or BR as baggage cars.
In the 1950s, as steam locomotives were going away, the GN began applying the bright EB colors to box cars equipped with devices to prevent the shifting of loads. There were many such cars and they would be found in freight trains on the GN and other roads, often in dedicated service to particular factories in the east or mid west to haul high value manufactured goods to distributors in the Pacific Northwest. Appliances were frequently shipped in loader equipped box cars to prevent damage in transit. These cars were classified XML for box cars equipped with loading devices.
Atlas, Lionel and MTH have all made models of 40 foot box cars in the Empire Builder inspired loader scheme.
The photo that Ron linked is of a 50 foot box car that was originally wood sheathed when built in the 1920s. It was rebuilt in the 50s with steel sides, equipped with load protecting devices and given the snazzy paint job. The clues to the true age of the car are the deep fishbelly underframe and the 6/5/5 Murphy ends.
Hope that helps.
Thank you TED
The info helps a lot.
Now I know the rest of the history of this paint scheme!
