Abingdon Branch pax cars

[NW Modeling List]

Jim

The car No. 10 was not an M-1 mail car, it was a BMg class car, built 1927, there were three of them 10, 11 and 12. 

The combine, and I don’t have any photos handy was probably either 600, 601, 602 or 605. There were 6 of these BPe series cars, but those four were the ones equipped with stoves for branch line service, they have the 20 windows you mention.

The coaches were likely PG coaches, either 1600 or 1601, which were equipped with coal stoves for branch line service. Both coaches were sold to Ortner in November 1959.

As far as I know, no M-1s ever served on the branch, as they were full RPO cars, not baggage mail cars.

Ken Miller

> On May 14, 2020, at 2:30 PM, NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Based on photos I’ve seen taken in 1956, ’57 and ’62, the M-1 RPO #10 appears to have stayed the same on trains but the coach changed to a combine by 1962.  The 1950s coach was a 6-wheel truck, 20-window style.  The combine was a 4-wheel truck, 12-window design, very similar to what ran on the Blacksburg branch.  I don’t have road numbers for either.
>  
> All of the M-1 photos I’ve seen from these years shows the side windows plated over.  Only the RPO and baggage doors were left.  Modeling this car becomes much easier using Athearn parts and applying 4 styrene window patches to simulate where they “used to be” would be easy.  I suspect Central Valley trucks could be found on ebay in time.  I have a couple pair under an old Walthers kits of RPO 90 I built during college days; those will go under an M-1.
>  
> Jim King
> http://smokymountainmodelworks.com/
>  
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