Return to the schoolhouse | Download in Microsoft Word Format
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A
Short List of Model Interurban Freight
Cars [Lesson 6-2]
July 25, 2002
In
1998, I joined the Southern California
Traction Club, with the idea that
I would run HO scale model freight
motors pulling strings of HO scale
model freight cars. After returning
to the States, upon retiring from
the Navy, I started buying all the
freight cars lettered for Pacific
Electric (P. E.) and Los Angeles Pacific
(L.A.P.) by Model Die Casting. Wanting
to make sure that I had at least one
of each road number, I started making
a list, which grew into the list that
is before you. Along the way, I started
adding other Interurban railroad freight
cars to my list as I learned about
them. As
for the Southern California Traction
Club, it was founded in 1995 in a
local hobby shop. After the club moved
out of the shop in 1997, it began
construction on a portable modular
layout, using standards from the East
Penn Traction Club (EPTC). There were
two main purposes for the layout,
one was to attend model train shows
the other was to give the members
a place to run their streetcars and
interurbans from live overhead wires. The
club has set up their modules at numerous
train shows throughout the Southern
California area including trips to
San Jose, CA. and Las Vegas, NV. The
club has demonstrated to west coast
model railroaders and the general
public that HO scale traction equipment
can and will successfully operate
from powered overhead wires. At
first, operation was mainly confined
to the ubiquitous Pacific Electric
Railway 'Hollywood' and 'Blimp' interurban
cars. But, slowly, members of the
club began running freight trains
using 1619 class P. E. steeple cab
locomotives, and/or box motors. One
of the club members even installed
trolley poles on a SW-1, EMD switcher,
so that he could operate it on the
layout. The engine is painted and
lettered for the Pacific Electric
Railway. These
freight trains led other members of
the group to wonder about other interurban
railroad freight activities, and where
they could find rolling stock, painted
and lettered for their favorite electric
railroad. In
answer to that question, I started
distributing copies of the list I
had made on the Model Die Casting
P. E. cars. Finally, I was talked
into publishing
my list on the internet. I then discovered
that there have been quite a number
of cars released by various manufactures
and specialty painters, that were
painted and lettered for Interurban
Electric Railroads. The information
contained on this list, has come from
various sources, including magazine
ads, Walthers' catalogues, Model Die
Casting fact sheets, manufacturers
web sites, and from cars and kits
in my own and my friends collections.
Whenever possible, I've included the
box end information from the original
box. The
list is broken down into four parts,
(1) Wood kits, (2) Zamac kits, (3)
Plastic kits and (4) Engines. (1)
Wood Kits: These cars came with pre-painted
and lettered sides, either of wood
or printed cardboard. You assembled
the body of the car, without the sides.
Then you painted the body to match
the pre painted car sides. Then you
installed the sides and finishing
details to finish the car. Manufacturers
include; Silver Streak, Cliff Line,
Red Ball, Ye Olde Huff-n-Puff, etc. (2)
Zamac Kits: The body parts were die
cast molded, with pre painted sides.
Like wood kits, you assembled the
body, then painted it to match the
sides and then installed them. Manufacturers
include; Ulrich, Varney and early Roundhouse.
Walthers later sold Ulrich die cast
models under their own name. (3)
Plastic Kits: These were for the most
part, 'shake-the-box' type kits. The
body came molded in one piece and
completely painted and lettered. You
needed only to assemble
the under frame, attach it to the
body and add detail parts, trucks
and couplers. Manufacturers include;
Model Die Casting /Roundhouse, Athearn,
Accurail etc. Note 1: Specialty
painters, like Bev-Bel, mainly used
Athearn, Model Die Casting /Roundhouse
'shake-the-box' kits. Note 2: Some plastic body
cars come from the manufacturer, assembled
and Ready-to-Run, (RTR). IE; Kadee,
Life-Like, Atlas, Proto 2000, Athearn. (4)
Engines: All the engines have plastic
bodies, mounted on Zamac frames, with
some assembly required, mainly with
the detail parts, and handrails. Manufacturers
include Model Die Casting/Roundhouse,
Athearn and Stewart. For
a car to be on this list, the body
and/or sides have to have been painted
and lettered by the manufacturer.
Since Brass models almost always come
unpainted and unlettered, no Brass
equipment is shown on this list. If
you can produce a Brass freight car
that was painted by the manufacturer
for an Interurban Railroad, then it
would be added to this list. No claim is being
made to the authenticity or accuracy
of the paint schemes and numbers painted
on the kits. Nor
is it claimed that
the equipment, or the body style offered
is correct for the railroad modeled.
This list is only to show the availability
or existence of a kit or a car, at
some point in time.
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