PRB - Pecos River 3-rail 0-gauge Boxcars

Are these 2 rail or 3 rail cars? Thanks.

If the cars are in the correct boxes - HR indicates three rail and SB indicates two rail.

Amended after George's post.  These are Pecos River cars, not Pecos River Brass(PRB) cars.   John in Lansing, ILL

@rattler21 posted:

If the cars are in the correct boxes - HR indicates three rail and SB indicates two rail.  John in Lansing, ILL

And they are NOT brass - they are plastic.  I have that particular car.  It's a beauty.

George

PECOS RIVER BRASS is the company name based upon a BRASS percussion music trio the owner was part of. These boxcars are highly detailed plastic with metal wheels and separate detail parts added.

I have both  2-rail and 3-rail versions based on each box info.

What car is of interest?

Walter/RMT

I worked now and then, for John at PRB, and remember those as very nice cars. I will have to check out your list and possibly add to my stash. Thanks.

Jeff

@Walter Matuch posted:

PECOS RIVER BRASS is the company name based upon a BRASS percussion music trio the owner was part of. These boxcars are highly detailed plastic with metal wheels and separate detail parts added.

I have both  2-rail and 3-rail versions based on each box info.

What car is of interest?

Walter/RMT

Walter, yes that is correct.  My bad.

George

PRB was at one time, possibly one of the biggest hobby shops in the country, and did a huge mailorder business. John then entered the brass importing business, also under the PRB name. He moved all his importing over to "O" scale, and toward the end, produced the line of PRB plastic boxcars, as well as a nice line of structures. Mr. Muffin now has the line of structures.  He also had a really nice "O" layout we all worked on above the PRB shop and offices. It was called the Texas Western.

Jeff

Jeff,

I used to work in Carrollton and would stop into John's store at least once a month. It was a great place and he was quite the character.

His inventory of O gauge detailing parts alone were impressive. Purchased quite a bit from him.

I recall the layout upstairs. Long trains of modern style rolling stock. 

I have a few PRB boxcars. They are very nice cars and they were very helpful when I needed parts for them. I am glad someone picked up some of the product line.

@Walter Matuch posted:

PECOS RIVER BRASS is the company name based upon a BRASS percussion music trio the owner was part of. These boxcars are highly detailed plastic with metal wheels and separate detail parts added.

I have both  2-rail and 3-rail versions based on each box info.

What car is of interest?

Walter/RMT

A twenty piece brass band is hardly a percussion music trio and you may have placed the cart before the horse.  I believe John named his band after the model railroad company.  John Smith is certainly more than 'was a part of', he is the director, arranger and plays bass trombone.  John 

rattler 21: You are correct on all points.

graz: We probably met in the store at some point. John is a great guy, and as you point out, quite a character.

Jeff

Original post updated to list all PRB Boxcars by style number.

Walter/RMT

Could you post a picture of the Detroit & Toledo Shoreline car. Are they 2 or 3 rail. Thanks

Could you please show a picture of the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line car and is it 2 or 3 rail. Thanks 

Photos:

Separate listing on RMT website..  http://www.readymadetoys.com/prribosetdet.html

Walter/RMT

Rattler:

Changed post title - Done.

Walter/RMT

6-24-2020 11:39PM DST

D&TSL Boxcar SET is SOLD.

Walter/RMT

just ordered Texas & Pacific.  Remember visiting Pecos River store in Lewisville TX years ago.  

UPDATE: June 25, 2020

ALL CARS HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY UPGRADED TO 3-rail /couplers to work with all other 3-rail trains...MTH - LIONEL - ATLAS - WEAVER - KLINE - RMT - WILLIAMS etc. PRB style number as HR or SB shown as reference to roadname and paint scheme only.

Walter/RMT

hclarke:

Appreciate the T&P order. Will ship today in a few hours by USPS Priority Mail with tracking.

Thank you.

Walter/RMT

hclark:

T&P car has been shipped.

Thank you.

Walter/RMT

Who

sells the Pecos River 3 rail trucks?

I’m pretty sure the first Atlas Masterline cars with diecast trucks were the same as the Pecos River ones.

9-24-2024

Still have quite a few Pecos 50ft 3-rail cars with these trucks.

PM me to OGR Profile maybe can help.

Walter

@Dave_C posted:

I’m pretty sure the first Atlas Masterline cars with diecast trucks were the same as the Pecos River ones.

@Dave_C they are extremely similar but not exactly the same. Many years ago BluelineC4 (Ben) from this forum gave me some PRB 2 rail trucks. I too thought that they were exactly the same as Atlas trucks but years later I noticed some differences. The main differences are the writing on the trucks and the metal for the PRB trucks is thicker. Photo 1 is an Atlas Barber-Bettendorf truck. It says Barber something on it. Photo 2 is another Atlas truck but has different writing on it which I can't read. Finally Photo 3 is a PRB truck with yet again different writing and it has a thicker truck frame. I tried real hard to be able to show you guys the tiny writing on the trucks but I found that difficult to do with just my phone. My other camera is at my friends house.

By the way, if anyone (any O scale person be it 2 rail or 3 rail who uses Kadee couplers) needs the original PRB Kadee coupler mounting pads I have some extra and the screws that mount them to these cars.

Phil, I only have a few of the PRB cars. I just looked and your correct about the side frames. When I purchased them. I didn’t wear glasses way back then. Even though I probably needed them. The raised lettering is different and different journal boxes stand out.  I have one with 3 rail couplers. The couplers are identical to the early Atlas Masterline cars as well as the plastic brake shoes. I think PRB preceded the Atlas cars as far as production. If Atlas used the tooling. Unless the mold got damaged. I wonder why they ditched the sideframes.

I believe the PRB trucks are the only models of roller bearing conversions in O scale

Atlas offered some in two-rail conversion sets. Somewhere I have a set but cannot find it now. They may have been installed on a car; a forlorn hope of finding that car. The Atlas site only shows the three-rail version item #66036

Shapeways (now out of business) made nice coupler mounting pads for the PRB cars to accept KD couplers. Some forum members may still have sets they are willing to part with, if anyone happens to be doing a 3-rail to 2-rail conversion, or just wants to add KDs to their 3-rail car.

The PRB cars are not listed on RMT website any longer but are available still. Contact me through my OGR Forum profile. Thanks. Walter