Mail Call! Railway Post Office, commonly abbreviated as RPO has rolled in!

[ctclibby]

Building haul from Chet's Logan Valley RR.
1st box.

2nd Box:

3rd Box:

Thanks Chet!

L8r

 

[DeaconKC]

These arrived in today's mail:

 

[DeaconKC]

I won the GD boxcar really cheap and then added the others to help the shipping.

 

[TLOC]

Arrived Saturday 10/4/2025 from the paint shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Opened last night

An Sd70Ace painted in MAC Transportation corporate blue and yellow for my freelance Wisconsin Interstate. It’s a n Athearn Genesis unit

purchased new in August and sent directly to the painter from the online hobby shop. It’s getting a new Scale Sound System speaker and a Blunami decoder from Soundtraxx

 

[TLOC]

I enjoy model railroading surprises. In the mailbox last night was a gift from a friend.

2 new pieces of rolling stock

A pulp car and a Covered hopper.

The pulp car is a MCBT car labeled for one of the Michigan Interstate’s subsidiary companies. Everyone who knows me or seen pictures of the layout know it’s based around the paper industry. Pulp cars fit in very nicely

a bit of damage in shipping to the side supports but it’s an easy fix

The shocker and very pleasing surprise was a car for my own freelanced Wisconsin Interstate. I’ve mentioned in the Diner how I need to expand the WCIS rolling stock with the Wisconsin Interstate reporting marks. Friend Greg McComas wasn’t waiting any longer for me to get going!

I’ll fix the pulp car when I get home and then find or build a pulp wood load for it. Weathering will come eventually but Monday I will just spray a flat coat over it and the covered hopper

Be well

 

[PMW]

Still very busy with non-train-life but I’ve been able to get a little track work done and these two boxcars arrived today . They are my first purchases from Rapido and I am very pleased with them.

 

[skyliner]

Sorry I haven't contributed much to the site recently, most of the last year has been consumed with moving across the country and stuff associated with a new house. It will be a while before I get a new layout designed and built, so I shouldn't be buying anything new right? Haha, yeah I know that's a good one. In this hobby when you see something you might want, you had better get it because you may never get the chance again.

I've always found the GTEL gas turbines fascinating and have secretly wanted one since I saw a friend's Lionel HO version over twenty years ago. At a LHS I came across this new Athearn Genesis version with sound and DCC, on sale. Couldn't pass it up. This also came with a fuel tender, but I didn't get it out for the photo.

And then an online store recently had a sale on Rapido stuff. This is a six-car pack of B100 fifty-foot boxcars; I loosely model Southern Pacific, so these will fit the future layout well. "Golden West Service" was a scheme by the SP to try and raise revenue as their financial situation deteriorated. Freight cars were sold off to raise cash, refurbed, repainted, and renumbered under other short-line railroads, and then leased back. These cars were decorated in the Golden West colors.

 

[BigGRacing]

Sorry I haven't contributed much to the site recently, most of the last year has been consumed with moving across the country and stuff associated with a new house. It will be a while before I get a new layout designed and built, so I shouldn't be buying anything new right? Haha, yeah I know that's a good one. In this hobby when you see something you might want, you had better get it because you may never get the chance again.

I've always found the GTEL gas turbines fascinating and have secretly wanted one since I saw a friend's Lionel HO version over twenty years ago. At a LHS I came across this new Athearn Genesis version with sound and DCC, on sale. Couldn't pass it up. This also came with a fuel tender, but I didn't get it out for the photo.

And then an online store recently had a sale on Rapido stuff. This is a six-car pack of B100 fifty-foot boxcars; I loosely model Southern Pacific, so these will fit the future layout well. "Golden West Service" was a scheme by the SP to try and raise revenue as their financial situation deteriorated. Freight cars were sold off to raise cash, refurbed, repainted, and renumbered under other short-line railroads, and then leased back. These cars were decorated in the Golden West colors.

Huge engine!

 

[Guilford Railman]

Sorry I haven't contributed much to the site recently, most of the last year has been consumed with moving across the country and stuff associated with a new house. It will be a while before I get a new layout designed and built, so I shouldn't be buying anything new right? Haha, yeah I know that's a good one. In this hobby when you see something you might want, you had better get it because you may never get the chance again.

I've always found the GTEL gas turbines fascinating and have secretly wanted one since I saw a friend's Lionel HO version over twenty years ago. At a LHS I came across this new Athearn Genesis version with sound and DCC, on sale. Couldn't pass it up. This also came with a fuel tender, but I didn't get it out for the photo.

And then an online store recently had a sale on Rapido stuff. This is a six-car pack of B100 fifty-foot boxcars; I loosely model Southern Pacific, so these will fit the future layout well. "Golden West Service" was a scheme by the SP to try and raise revenue as their financial situation deteriorated. Freight cars were sold off to raise cash, refurbed, repainted, and renumbered under other short-line railroads, and then leased back. These cars were decorated in the Golden West colors.

Awesome locomotive! Also loving those Golden West boxcars.

 

[Iron Horseman]

What - This is an HO Walther's set of the Pennsylvania Railroad Merchandise Express. These were made at the same time as the "Named Train" series of passenger cars for the "George Washington". When I first saw them and the outrageous price, I thought, "they are never going to sell these things." Apparently I was right, because now 3(?) years later Walther's is clearing them out at 1/2 original price, and all the Walther's drop ship companies are selling them even cheaper.
Picture - below. Seem to be close to prototypical, but all to bright and shiny.
About it - Comes with metal wheels and ProtoMax couplers as expected on a Proto. Each of the 12 cars has a unique number, and there are 4 sets. Set also has a caboose with unique number per set. I've got three so far. Still looking or set #1. Cost $249-$339.
About the prototype - The Pennsy, in order to compete with post war trucking, introduced their Merchandise Service trains and aggressively marketed them for a cheap alternative for LCL (less than car load - but reduced rates for more than 5000lbs) service. It worked on a hub and spoke system much like today's UPS and Fed Ex. It was for fast service, but one step below the "urgent" need of Railway Express Service.
Reason for obtaining - I have no need of Pennsy, but I have tried to get every Walther's Passenger named train set. Saw these on clearance so the reason is - price! Loco sets to match were also on clearance and I ordered a set of those.
Review - have not had them out of the box yet, but plan on having at least a 36 car train at the big show in February. If I find set #1 it will be a 48 car train.

 

[rgeiter]

What - This is an HO Walther's set of the Pennsylvania Railroad Merchandise Express. These were made at the same time as the "Named Train" series of passenger cars for the "George Washington". When I first saw them and the outrageous price, I thought, "they are never going to see these things." Apparently I was right, because now 3(?) years later Walther's is clearing them out at 1/2 original price, and all the Walther's drop ship companies are selling them even cheaper.
Picture - below. Seem to be close to prototypical, but all to bright and shiny.
About it - Comes with metal wheels and ProtoMax couplers as expected on a Proto. Each of the 12 cars has a unique number, and there are 4 sets. Set also has a caboose with unique number per set. I've got three so far. Still looking or set #1. Cost $249-$339.
About the prototype - he Pennsy in order to compete with post war trucking, introduced their Merchandise Service trains and aggressively marketed them for a cheap alternative for LCL (less than car load - but reduced rates for more than 5000lbs) service. It worked on a hub and spoke system much like today's UPS and Fed Ex. It was one step below the "urgent" Railway Express Service.
Reason for obtaining - I have tried to get every Walther's named train set. Saw these on clearance so the reason is - price! Loco sets to match were also on clearance and I ordered a set of those.
Review - have not had them out of the box yet, but plan on having at least a 36 car train at the big show in February.


View attachment 249915View attachment 249916

Nice! I never knew Walthers did these! Very cool.

 

[BigGRacing]

What - This is an HO Walther's set of the Pennsylvania Railroad Merchandise Express. These were made at the same time as the "Named Train" series of passenger cars for the "George Washington". When I first saw them and the outrageous price, I thought, "they are never going to see these things." Apparently I was right, because now 3(?) years later Walther's is clearing them out at 1/2 original price, and all the Walther's drop ship companies are selling them even cheaper.
Picture - below. Seem to be close to prototypical, but all to bright and shiny.
About it - Comes with metal wheels and ProtoMax couplers as expected on a Proto. Each of the 12 cars has a unique number, and there are 4 sets. Set also has a caboose with unique number per set. I've got three so far. Still looking or set #1. Cost $249-$339.
About the prototype - he Pennsy in order to compete with post war trucking, introduced their Merchandise Service trains and aggressively marketed them for a cheap alternative for LCL (less than car load - but reduced rates for more than 5000lbs) service. It worked on a hub and spoke system much like today's UPS and Fed Ex. It was one step below the "urgent" Railway Express Service.
Reason for obtaining - I have tried to get every Walther's named train set. Saw these on clearance so the reason is - price! Loco sets to match were also on clearance and I ordered a set of those.
Review - have not had them out of the box yet, but plan on having at least a 36 car train at the big show in February.


View attachment 249915View attachment 249916

Looks awesome! Looking forward to seeing it all together!

 

[KriegslokBR52]

I was not going to buy anymore freight cars...but i was kind of hunting for the Heinz low side "box car" for a while. This gem was in a train shop not far from where i live, burried in a box full of other old freight cars.

I have no clue who the manufacturer is, but definitely an old out of production run. It goes well with my 1930s-1940s mixed consist.

 

[KriegslokBR52]

What - This is an HO Walther's set of the Pennsylvania Railroad Merchandise Express. These were made at the same time as the "Named Train" series of passenger cars for the "George Washington". When I first saw them and the outrageous price, I thought, "they are never going to sell these things." Apparently I was right, because now 3(?) years later Walther's is clearing them out at 1/2 original price, and all the Walther's drop ship companies are selling them even cheaper.
Picture - below. Seem to be close to prototypical, but all to bright and shiny.
About it - Comes with metal wheels and ProtoMax couplers as expected on a Proto. Each of the 12 cars has a unique number, and there are 4 sets. Set also has a caboose with unique number per set. I've got three so far. Still looking or set #1. Cost $249-$339.
About the prototype - The Pennsy, in order to compete with post war trucking, introduced their Merchandise Service trains and aggressively marketed them for a cheap alternative for LCL (less than car load - but reduced rates for more than 5000lbs) service. It worked on a hub and spoke system much like today's UPS and Fed Ex. It was for fast service, but one step below the "urgent" need of Railway Express Service.
Reason for obtaining - I have no need of Pennsy, but I have tried to get every Walther's Passenger named train set. Saw these on clearance so the reason is - price! Loco sets to match were also on clearance and I ordered a set of those.
Review - have not had them out of the box yet, but plan on having at least a 36 car train at the big show in February. If I find set #1 it will be a 48 car train.

View attachment 249915View attachment 249916

One of those box cars was sitting in Dillerville Yard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a long time. I have no idea what happened to it. It disappeared in mid 1990s.

 

[Iron Horseman]

I was not going to buy anymore freight cars...but i was kind of hunting for the Heinz low side "box car" for a while. This gem was in a train shop not far from where i live, burried in a box full of other old freight cars.View attachment 250187View attachment 250188View attachment 250189View attachment 250190View attachment 250191
I have no clue who the manufacturer is, but definitely an old out of production run. It goes well with my 1930s-1940s mixed consist.

Despite the coupler pockets and covers it is an Athearn model. On my bucket list it to collect one of each of the paint schemes of this car and the open side equivalent.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

I was not going to buy anymore freight cars...but i was kind of hunting for the Heinz low side "box car" for a while. This gem was in a train shop not far from where i live, burried in a box full of other old freight cars.View attachment 250187View attachment 250188View attachment 250189View attachment 250190View attachment 250191
I have no clue who the manufacturer is, but definitely an old out of production run. It goes well with my 1930s-1940s mixed consist.

What a great find! I'm a bit ignorant on this type of car, what specific materials would one of these have carried for a company like Heinz?

 

[KriegslokBR52]

What a great find! I'm a bit ignorant on this type of car, what specific materials would one of these have carried for a company like Heinz?

I believe this was a pickle car. I myself have to do some research on those.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

I believe this was a pickle car. I myself have to do some research on those.

Interesting. Thank you!

 

[AuburnCentral]

Here are two of mine and I also have a kit to put together

 

[KriegslokBR52]

Here are two of mine and I also have a kit to put together

I don't remember ever seeing the open sides with round tanks pickle car. That Pennsy 2-8-0 is also interesting.