Rexall Train

Actually it would require new tooling. While it resembles a Commodore Vanderbilt its actually a 4-8-2 Mohawk. The streamlining is longer than that used on the Hudson. I believe there would be interest though especially if it was a scale model.

Pete

I'll have to have a look at this up when I get a chance. Sounds interesting.

@Norton posted:

Actually it would require new tooling. While it resembles a Commodore Vanderbilt its actually a 4-8-2 Mohawk. The streamlining is longer than that used on the Hudson. I believe there would be interest though especially if it was a scale model.

Pete

I know a couple of NYC guys been tossing this train around on paper, ….no??..

Pat

I'd be interested in the cars'.. Not so much the loco.  I've seen the RX Train, it is cool. Surprised no models have been produced that I'm aware of..?

@harmonyards posted:

I know a couple of NYC guys been tossing this train around on paper, ….no??..

Pat

The difficult we do right away. The impossible takes a little longer. I know a guy who can do this.

Pete

I know of one 2 rail KTM that was done custom …….hmmmm……inspirational….

Pat

Mohawk 2873 was specifically converted to oil and streamlined for the Rexall train.  Once the tour was over, the streamlining was removed, converted back to coal and the 2873 returned to be "just another Mohawk."  The cars were sold off to various railroads.

Only one colorized photo of the locomotive exists.  No color photos of the train are known to exist.

Rusty

Wow you guys are great l can still dream This train complete with correctly detailed  passenger cars would be spectacular

We’re missing one more fellow conspirator, and he knows who he is,….and I totally blame him for literally stoking the coals on this one!!…

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

We’re missing one more fellow conspirator, and he knows who he is,….and I totally blame him for literally stoking the coals on this one!!…

Pat

😈

I thought it was blue and white, not cream?

@CentralFan1976 posted:

😈

I thought it was blue and white, not cream?

Lord only knows ….that model might’ve been built god knows when, model paints can yellow with age …..especially whites…..I’ll probably go down the middle of the lane and use a bone white ( ish ) …..I think the blue on that KTM model is fairly close, or at least a descent representation……of course those in the inner sanctum ( you & Pete ) will see spray outs before going on the model,…..😁

Pat

I also watched this video about the Rexall Trains & left this comment.

Gary 🚂

MTH did this?  or was this never released?

@ArtsModelTrains posted:

MTH did this?  or was this never released?

Ewww,…..Railking!…too small, gotta throw them back till they grow ….😞

Pat

@ArtsModelTrains posted:

MTH did this?  or was this never released?

It was.  I have one.  It didn't bother me about the errors since chances were no one else would make a proper one and I got a deal on it.

Brendan

I think I remember seeing this somewhere else, most likely a post here somewhere. I don't believe that it was me searching the web and finding it. Pretty interesting color scheme. A little odd to say the least, but it must have been somewhat of an eye catcher giving that it wasn't black.

Here's a short video,

https://youtu.be/22NqxZKC9YU

Lionel could offer this as a brass hybrid, whether it would bring enough orders is the question.

Doug

As Rusty Traque noted, the picture is colorized, so there is leeway as to how faithfully the colors were reproduced.
Incidentally, I read up on Wedgewood Stoves and Ranges. Impressive appliances!

Here is a thread about a live steam model of the engine: https://www.chaski.org/homemac...941&hilit=rexall

So here's a few quick questions. The train itself was a big promotional thing for the drug company, which looks like they would have potential clients for their drugs on board? How long did this engine last with it's shrouding? I would imagine it was only painted up under the Recall colors and once done, shrouding scrapped and back to normal unshrouded operations? It would have been interesting to see what a Mohawk looked like under the NYC colors.

Dave, this may answer some questions you have.

https://www.themetrains.com/re...-nyc-mohawk-2873.htm

Doug

So it is a royal blue, ah. That is much better than the colorized photo as that looks like a much lighter shade. Thanks for that great history lesson Doug.

@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:

So it is a royal blue, ah. That is much better than the colorized photo as that looks like a much lighter shade. Thanks for that great history lesson Doug.

I’m also going at this from another direction Dave, I’m contacting Rexall drugs, to see if they have any history information about this, ….Rexall is still obviously around, they were bought out by a SanFransico group around 2016…..ish??….I’ve put an inquiry in, …..we’ll see if they respond or if I get crickets …..of course I stated what a satisfied Rexall customer I am….😁

Pat  

Rexall was the main drug store in my small home town growing up. Payless drugs was a competitor but only had 3 stores in the valleys compared to half a dozen Rexall.

Now it is all CVS and Walgreens.

@harmonyards, Pat, that is usually the best way to go. Give them honey instead of vinegar and you should get far. They'd have to have something, that's for sure. If this were some random store promotion I could see there being little information about the place. We're talking about a huge unveiling, like the World's Fair size(sort of). They'd have to have some archived information. The only other place which is needle in the haystack would be the Library of Congress. You can find out a great deal there, but you really have to know what you are looking for and be able to narrow the field. I can't remember exactly what it was on a railroad search, but it was in relation to my paternal grandfather's travels out west when he worked on the pipelines. I only managed to get something I think around St Louis and I don't think all of it was exactly what I was looking for. It was very interesting however. I just wish I would have saved the information I got. I had messaged my sister some maps of the area, that was about it.

That custom 2 rail model of Rexall (NYC 2873) was done by the late Tom Harley for the late Mike Hill, both noted O Scalers. Mike told me that Harley was able to take a USH NYC L-2 Mohawk chassis and fit a Lionel Commodore Vanderbilt shell/boiler.  Mike also told me that he researched the exact colors by traveling to several locations in IL (where he lived) in order to record the exact colors of the Rexall drug sign.  He told me that the blue was "easy" but he thought a little different than the Rexall blue of the signs, but the final white or "off white" was actually a very light cream color.

When MTH expressed an interest in modeling the Rexall locomotive but as a Hudson, I sent them the photos of Mike's engine for the color match.  I am convinced that, as a result of Hill's investigation, the colors of the MTH are "as close as we will ever get".  Think about it...why would Rexall select a blue and an off-white that was different than their symbol/trademark???

I saw that Mike's engine was sold in a recent auction for what I regard as a very high price...over $4,000.

@Hudson5432 posted:

That custom 2 rail model of Rexall (NYC 2873) was done by the late Tom Harley for the late Mike Hill, both noted O Scalers. Mike told me that Harley was able to take a USH NYC L-2 Mohawk chassis and fit a Lionel Commodore Vanderbilt shell/boiler.  Mike also told me that he researched the exact colors by traveling to several locations in IL (where he lived) in order to record the exact colors of the Rexall drug sign.  He told me that the blue was "easy" but he thought a little different than the Rexall blue of the signs, but the final white or "off white" was actually a very light cream color.

When MTH expressed an interest in modeling the Rexall locomotive but as a Hudson, I sent them the photos of Mike's engine for the color match.  I am convinced that, as a result of Hill's investigation, the colors of the MTH are "as close as we will ever get".  Think about it...why would Rexall select a blue and an off-white that was different than their symbol/trademark???

I saw that Mike's engine was sold in a recent auction for what I regard as a very high price...over $4,000.

Do you have any more information on the build?…nice to know it was done with a Lionel CV boiler shell, ….In an off-line discussion, we’ve been wondering if stretching the shell was necessary or not, …..do you know if the shell they used was indeed stretched, or was it used as is,…..I think I can nail the colors to a cross, it’s getting it dimensionally appropriate as a first step ….I’ve done a couple rough, and I do mean rough mock ups and I’m digging what I’m seeing, but dimension wise, the Mohawks are a bit longer than a J1e, which obviously we all know is what was under the dress of the CV, ……my micrometer eye ( which sucks BTW) says the roof line should sit back about 24” more than a Hudson would ….but don’t quote me on that just yet……my general rule of thumb in O scale is if I’m within 18-20” …I call it good and move on,….so it’s close ….close enough to be a PITA anyways ……😁

Pat

@Hudson5432 very cool information btw, thanks for sharing!!…

Pat

Did the Rexall Train have a boxcar somewhere in the back?  This picture was taken several years later and shows the Friendship Train had at least one boxcar in a similar paint scheme.

@CAPPilot posted:

Did the Rexall Train have a boxcar somewhere in the back?  This picture was taken several years later and shows the Friendship Train had at least one boxcar in a similar paint scheme.

There is no documentation anywhere to indicate the Rexall Train had any boxcars.

The Rexall consist can be found HERE by scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Rusty

See attached image from a Mike Hill display of his models.

@ArtsModelTrains posted:

MTH did this?  or was this never released?

Trainworld posted a YouTube vid of the MTH R/K model

There's quite a bit of information on the Rexall train in the book "Those Pullman Blues" which is interviews with former Pullman porters. Three of those interviewed served on that train. One remembers the names of many of the cars and their types. Stories about what happened on board and at the various stops. The fronts-piece photos is of the crew standing on the front of the engine. Well worth getting if you're interested in learning more about the trains operation.