SP Overnights Captive Service?

All my SP "Overnight" box cars are all black. The car in your photo may be for a much later era (I model the steam era, thru mid 1950s), but I'm pretty sure that they did NOT get too far "off line". A lot of the SP "overnight service" was between SanFrancisco and LA.

I do like the black ones, but I know that they were captive.

I'll tell you why I'm asking... I have a gift card and its only scale car that my LHS has for the era that I like.  I have a hard stop at the beginning of the NYC Cigar Band scheme (~1960).  Which is tough because I love the Lionel GP30s, but they're too "late" to have in my collection.

The only other one at the store that I could purchase would be the Lionel PS1 M&StL red boxcar, but that has a rebuild date on the car side of 1960.

Thanks,

Mario...

There was an article somewhere that said when Lionel came out with the black 6464 box car in the 50's, the SP had already begun painting all theirs silver. The NYC Pacemaker captive cars did not have all the dimensions, (if this car is decorated accurately) did these interchange to the NWP?

The silver overnight paint scheme started to appear around 1958 or thereabouts; approximately a year or so after all of SP's steam engines left active service. So you would not see these type of boxcars being pulled by steam in revenue service (not SP's steam anyway) if that is of any concern.

Overnights:

LA-SFO for sure

I have heard of a LA-PHX, and one in Texas, HOU-DAL?  Also, did any get used on the BLUE STREAK MERCHANDISE?

Also, SP Overnights are like the Oakland Raiders:  They wear BLACK!

But the real cars NEVER wore the double winged ball livery!

Lionel also made an Overnight in the "6464 size" with an olive green body with the silver lettering.  SP did have some olive green express boxes, but not for Overnight.

Also, SP never had any PS1 or Built by Lionel boxcars!

As pictured these cars probably only ran between LA and San Fran. They were painted silver in 1956. I have four of these from Atlas with an OAK 56 on the side which if correct means a repaint/renumbering in 1956 in Oakland which makes sense since there was a paint shop in West Oakland. The car in the picture shows a SAC 56, repainted in Sacramento 1956? I am pretty sure starting in 1957 the "OVERNIGHTS" on the side of car was removed or painted over and by 1958 the "OVERNIGHTS" were mostly gone on these cars and they were seen more in general service, I have no idea where they roamed in general service. As pictured, it seems this car had a very specific purpose, LCL overnight service from LA to San Fran and a very short time frame.

SP had a series of B-50-2x class boxcars which were based off the Pullman Standard PS1 boxcar design so they're nearly identical.

http://www.railgoat.railfan.ne...lass/box/b050-26.htm

http://www.railgoat.railfan.ne...lass/box/b050-27.htm

http://www.railgoat.railfan.ne...lass/box/b050-28.htm

Definitely grant you on the Blt by Lionel reference.

And another question for the SP experts: why do the silver cars say “OVERNIGHTS” (plural) but the black cars say “OVERNIGHT” (singular)?

Bill

Because that is the way SP did it!