Kato Coalporters

[gabby]

On Feather River site he has Kato coalporters for UP in 1 set. There is another set there that has UP (building america) Are they Uuion Pacific also or something else?

 

[UP2CSX]

Yes, they are still Union Pacific. The CMO reporting mark is a leftover from the UP merger with the Chicago and NorthWestern. The C&NW had a subsidiary line called the Chicago, Minneapolis, and Omaha. The CMO reporting mark was used on C&NW cars owned by the equipment trusts that leased them to the CMO, a "paper" railroad at the time. This was all done for accounting and tax purposes. Some of the Coalporters were still owned by the equipment trusts and leased to the CMO so, even though the UP painted the cars in standard UP colors, they had to retain the CMO reporting marks to comply with ARA accounting rules.

 

[gabby]

Jim thank you. I take it from your reply that they are painted in UP colours with the other reporting marks but do they show (apart from the colour) the UP shield or Union pacific) on their sides. I must apoligise if these are silly questions but being so far away it's hard to find out anything except on places like this.

 

[bigford]

uncle pete dont run down under

 

[UP2CSX]

Bob, that's correct, the cars are painted in a slight later UP scheme with the "Building America" logo on the side. Other than the CMO reporting marks, they are identical to UP cars in the same class. Your questions are not silly at all. Railroad accounting rules are very convoluted here and and equipment trusts and leasing leads to many strange combinations of reporting marks.

 

[gabby]

Jim thank you. I will see how the exchange rates are and may have to order a couple of sets.