Thanks Jim, and without being a nuisance could you kindly recheck whether
the second test batch was 48 or 50 as indicated in the caption for 289941
in the CP Tracks issue.
Regards,
Rainer
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Little" <jlittle02@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 10:30 AM
Subject: Re: [cpsig] CP 8 Hatch Reefer
The Ambroid kit is remarkably good for a model of the CP's earliest wood
reefers. Initially there were ten converted for a test in 1936-7.
(Series 289990-289999) Following the successful test, a further 48 were
converted in 1938. (Series 289940-289987) The original 10 are gone from
the equipment list by 1948, but one of the second batch of 48 actually
survived, or is shown on the ORER list of 1958!
The drawing for the Ambroid kit is from a magazine article published in
the late 1940's (fore runner of today's RMC, I believe) and the decals
included are accurate too. The only difference I found was that the roof
was painted boxcar red or black as like the other cars of the era. I
have not found any proof of an aluminium roof, as the kit suggests.
The ONLY photo I have seen of a car in a consist, is in the BRMNA book
Vol. 3 - Steam in the Rockies, pg 24. It appears to be a wood sheathed 8
hatch car, the second one behind the baggage car (3rd back from the
engines) on the Trout Creek bridge. I have a couple of views of
CP289941, courtesy of Richard Hendrickson, in Part 3 of my article on CP
wood sheathed reefers (CP Tracks, Vol. 7, No.1 still available).
When I searched through CP's photo archive in Windsor station, they
had numerous views of them, and yes there was at least one with a plug
door. Some had end-corner straps and some had end braces, much like the
Fowler cars. These cars were all converted from 1917 wood cars.
Jim Little
CP SIG
