Lionel CP Rail Boxcar variations

According to Tuohy & McComas, in 1987 "Great Plains Express" came with the black with white lettering 9729 CP Rail boxcar.  In 1979, the set came with the black with gold lettering 9417 CP Rail boxcar.

I had the '87 set with the 9729 and later got the 9417 when Chas. Ro was selling break-ups of the set.

For technicolor variety, there's also the yellow w/black lettering 9208 (1971), red w/black lettering 9703 (1973), green w/back lettering 9713 (1973), silver w/black lettering 9730 (1974) and blue w/white lettering 9748 (1975). 

I seem to remember the 9730 also having a silver w/white lettering variation.

Rusty

I believe all 9417s have gold lettering. the car is from the 1866 Great Plains set.

In 1978 this set had the 9729, which is black with white lettering. The following year the boxcar was changed to the 9417 boxcar.

Yes, that version exists. The white lettering was a bit hard to see against the silver background. I'm pretty sure that car was also different because the pacman was white rather than black like the other cars. There is also an orange version of this car, made during the LTI days after MPC, but unlike the others, it's a double-door boxcar. More recently, Lionel also did a yellow boxcar like these (very different shade than the MPC yellow version); it's different because the catwalk on the top is painted black. Snazy looking with that catwalk; has diecast trucks.