Drive the "Rivet Counters" mad


Cjcrescent

Master Mechanic
This was sent to me by one of my modeling friends.

Don't know if true, (hope so!), as I have no way to confirm. :)

Should at least generate a smile!;)



This falls into the folder labeled, "There is a prototype for almost anything."
The June 14, 1971 issue of Norfolk & Western Railway Employee Magazine has an interesting article on page 46. It describes how an alert yard clerk caught two Missouri Pacific box cars bearing the same number! The identical make box cars were each lettered and numbered "MP 35477, but on adjacent tracks of the Lima, Ohio yard."

What does this mean to me? I can't wait for a layout visitor to ask about my having multiples of the same car numbers in my hopper car fleet!

Aubrey Wiley
 
Now that is great. It would make for a fun shot to try to submit to RailPictures.net, LOL.
 
Yeah Josh, but just think of ALL the cars you won't have to renumber!

Just make a sign of the message and hang it up at the entrance of the train room!:confused::rolleyes::D
 
Wow! was there a pic with the article?

I really don't know. Like I said I have no way to confirm/disprove this, as I don't have access to the source quoted with the e-mail. But it could be possible. Maybe we need to get the "Mythbusters" on it.:p
 
I dunno, I only have containers to renumber, so far.

You mean you're actually going to bother to renumber all of your intermodal containers? Are you out of your mind? What's the point? I mean, no one will notice them anyway and it's not like containers need numbers for operating sessions or anything like that.

Seriously, your time could be spent doing much more productive things... :D
 
I have never had anyone say to me, "there's a bunch of cars w/the same numbers on your layout". I've never heard anyone at a train show or a persons home or a club layout notice a bunch of cars w/the same numbers.
It seems a waste of time to me, but, that's just me. Other people like to have all of their rolling stock & engines w/different numbers & more POWER to them. I just don't have the time to spend renumbering cars when I have 750 figures that I have to paint & they don't need numbers.:D

Larry
 
Back in the day when MDC Roundhouse was a separate company from Athearn, they'd regularly run 12 car sets with individual numbers. Some were all the same type of car lettered for one paint scheme (great for coal hoppers) and others were different collections of paint schemes all with a common theme, like COOP elevator hoppers or different types of rolling stock all lettered for BN predecessors. Anyway, occasionally they'd accidentally run too many of one number and have 12 car sets with 11 different numbers (two would be the same number). What was great about this was that while their 12 car sets often ran for $60 or $70, the misnumbered sets were often less than $40. I scored many sets from them back then. I must have four or five boxcars with the same reporting marks and number from buying multiples of those sets back then.
 
You mean you're actually going to bother to renumber all of your intermodal containers? Are you out of your mind? What's the point? I mean, no one will notice them anyway and it's not like containers need numbers for operating sessions or anything like that.

The Walther's Catalogue has that nice operating container crane... maybe moving containers will be a job on his railroad. I feel sorry for that operator though, those ships take days to transfer to rail and truck!

It wouldn't surprise me if this story was true. If EMD can letter an engine Cheesie, anything can happen!
 
The Walther's Catalogue has that nice operating container crane... maybe moving containers will be a job on his railroad. I feel sorry for that operator though, those ships take days to transfer to rail and truck!
Not days, its a matter of hours now. They claim a single crew can unload one ship in an 8 hour shift.

Anyways, as for renumbering them, most likely, I'll have to admit, yes. Right now, the most I have is 3 of the same number. Not much to change, however I intend to make sure that, if I do not renumber EVERY one, I renumber enough that you'll be hard pressed to find two with the same number, close enough to remember that its the same, lol. :eek:

Could you imagine being the crew member sent to renumber those cars?
"Frank, go renumber MP 35477..."

"Which one!?" :rolleyes:

P.S. Yes I AM crazy.
 
Well as for numbering....

My engines have all different #s I would not have the same # on locos. Besides with Digitrax I am able punch any combination of numbers but not same #' of course.

As for rolling stock...like most of us? we work to keep different #s

I love getting....

Accurail cars
Bev-Bel
Walthers Goldlines
IHC ore hoppers sets
o'l MDC

these had a bunch of different road numbers....
 
When running formal operations, you have no choice but to have individual numbers for identical cars. I have had to change many, but its not all that big of a deal and can be as simple as erasing/removing the front or end number.
 
Well, now I've done it. I picked up two DTTX well cars with the same number. Guess I do have to re-number.
 



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