CN slab side hopper

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iomalley said:
Yes, as CV acr says, but the number would have been changed to the 321xxx series...
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That's true. CN did a fleetwide numbering system upgrade around 1966 or so. Hopper cars (including covered hoppers) all went into the 3xxxxx series, the 1xxxxx series was were all the gondolas went.
Reefers and insulated boxcars were 2xxxxx, boxcars to 4xxxxx and 5xxxxx, flatcars were 6xxxxx, automobile cars were 7xxxxx, stock cars and woodchip cars were 8xxxxx. The only 9xxxxx series cars I've seen are company diesel fuel tanks. Work equipment was numbered from 10000-99999.

I did not even look at the number on the model earlier.
 
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cv_acr said:
That's true. CN did a fleetwide numbering system upgrade around 1966 or so. Hopper cars (including covered hoppers) all went into the 3xxxxx series, the 1xxxxx series was were all the gondolas went.
Reefers and insulated boxcars were 2xxxxx, boxcars to 4xxxxx and 5xxxxx, flatcars were 6xxxxx, automobile cars were 7xxxxx, stock cars and woodchip cars were 8xxxxx. The only 9xxxxx series cars I've seen are company diesel fuel tanks. Work equipment was numbered from 10000-99999.

I did not even look at the number on the model earlier.
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Thank you.

So TLT got the numbers wrong on these two cars? And here is a shot of one with the 3xxxxx to confirm it. Now could I paint over the numbers on these models or would that look sloppy? Or did they actually repaint the whole part of that side of the car?
 
Not entirely...

There were cars delivered in the 135xxx series and they were renumbered in the mid-1960s into numbers in the 35xxxx range.

The modern CN logo was introduced in 1961, so there is some overlap.

That said, the numbers are inappropriate for after 1970, so depending on the re-weigh dates that have been printed on the cars, which I can't see from the model photos posted...
 
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cv_acr said:
Not entirely...

There were cars delivered in the 135xxx series and they were renumbered in the mid-1960s into numbers in the 35xxxx range.

The modern CN logo was introduced in 1961, so there is some overlap.

That said, the numbers are inappropriate for after 1970, so depending on the re-weigh dates that have been printed on the cars, which I can't see from the model photos posted...
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The date on the first photo is 1960 with a repack date of 68. The second photo 1974.

Thanks again for the info.
 


zoegraf said:
So I could probably get away with renumbering the older TLT like in the second photo you posted?

Thanks.
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If you look at the weathering in the first photo, it's clear that car has also been renumbered. It also looks like they repainted the area around the logo on the right hand part of the car.

Since the new logo dates to 1961, there were probably cars painted in the early 1960s that needed renumbering in the late 1960s.

The 135xxx numbers are definately inappropriate for 1974, so those shop dates on the model are wrong. The paint scheme is still appropriate, but the car needs to be renumbered. The proto shot definately gives you a pattern to follow.

Just be aware there are at least half a dozen different variations of the slab side hoppers (round hatches, square hatches, 6 hatches, 8 hatches, 12 hatches, sides open at the bottom, sides closes at the bottom) so make sure your number matches the car configuration.
 
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Renumbering adds a cool element, and personalization. Microscale makes the red lettering sets for extra numbers. You may even want to do an OCS sand service car...
 
iomalley said:
Renumbering adds a cool element, and personalization. Microscale makes the red lettering sets for extra numbers. You may even want to do an OCS sand service car...
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Great idea and a project I'm totally looking forward to. But I will start with a box car I already have to practice on.

The prototypical photo of the car was taken in the 80s, but I'd like to make my model appear what it may have looked like in 1974. Are there decals to make it look that way with those markings and bars under the leaf? I do not know what they are. I've seen those bars on cabooses like the on in this shot between the windows.
 
If you are on the CN tracks East of Sioux Lookout in Ontario you'll see a sheet of metal from an old boxcar with the CNR maple leaf logo on it.
Guess someone cut it out after a derailment or something.
 
those are ACI labels and lube plates, the ACI labels were in use until 1978 (I think) and lube plates started showing up around your era. If I were you I'd put on a ACI, but leave off the lube plate...

ACIs were a computerized car tracking scanner tag, and lube plates are a painted area that lists the greasing/oiling of certain components, when and where.
 
Those black squares also listed built and/or rebuilt dates as well; because all of the build/oiling/maintenance information was put in there, the proper term for the block is "consolidated stencil", but "lube plate" is also a term you'll see very commonly.

Decals for those bits are available from several sources. Highball and Microscale both have them.
Here's a link to Highball's sets:
http://mgdecals.com/Accessory_Decals.htm

Lube plates did start showing up in the 1970s, but the style that is on the boxcar in the photo (divided into 3 sub-panels) is the later style that came into use in the 1980s and is still used today. The earliest style was a large single block. For the 1970s, any cars would either not have a consolidated stencil yet (probably the majority for older cars)
 
cv_acr said:
Those black squares also listed built and/or rebuilt dates as well; because all of the build/oiling/maintenance information was put in there, the proper term for the block is "consolidated stencil", but "lube plate" is also a term you'll see very commonly.

Decals for those bits are available from several sources. Highball and Microscale both have them.
Here's a link to Highball's sets:
http://mgdecals.com/Accessory_Decals.htm

Lube plates did start showing up in the 1970s, but the style that is on the boxcar in the photo (divided into 3 sub-panels) is the later style that came into use in the 1980s and is still used today. The earliest style was a large single block. For the 1970s, any cars would either not have a consolidated stencil yet (probably the majority for older cars)
Click to expand...

Thanks. I ordered the Highball decals today.
 
iomalley said:
those are ACI labels and lube plates, the ACI labels were in use until 1978 (I think) and lube plates started showing up around your era. If I were you I'd put on a ACI, but leave off the lube plate...

ACIs were a computerized car tracking scanner tag, and lube plates are a painted area that lists the greasing/oiling of certain components, when and where.
Click to expand...

Sounds good to me. I can't wait to put the ACI labels on my caboose and boxcar.
Here is a shot of my TLT caboose. I'm wondering if I should fade it and dullcote it before I apply the ACI label to make it look new. But someone mentioned decals adhere better to a smoother cleaner surface.
I paint all the interior of my TLT cabooses to stop that slight transparency that they have.
 
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Thank you all.
I've finally put together a train for 1974. It's short, but it's a start. I'm in the middle of putting an Accurail kit together of a CN open bi level auto carrier.
Still waiting for my ACI labels fro the two box cars and caboose; and a bell for the C-424. Then I start weathering.
 


That's a nice little train there.

The old wood boxcar is pushing the time frame, but I have seen photos of them in local grain service on southern Ontario branchlines as late as the early 1980s so it is appropriate. Plus old wood equipment was definately still kicking around in maintenance service in the late 1970s.

And the 50' CPAA boxcar is brand new.
 
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