12-24-2015, 04:52 PM
Hi Holdfastrva,
Merry Christmas and welcome to Big Blue.
As to your car re-numbering question I am no expert on the matter, but from what I have gathered reading TRAINS and Model Railroader, the usual sort of answer comes down to when a car or a locomotive is shopped for periodic servicing. Locomotives are attended to more frequently and are also the more public face of a company, so you could expect to see them with patches until they come in for a major overhaul and re-paint.
I remember reading about Union Pacific's re-numbering following the acquisition of firstly Chicago and North Western, [CNW], Denver and Rio Grande Western [DRGW] and then the acquisition of Southern Pacific, which resulted in some locomotives being re-numbered several times. This was partly because UP now had more than 9999 locomotives, and partly because some were to be retired immediately or within 6 to 12 months, others were to be moved to make room in certain classes to for other locos to join that new class group. This is why UP now has the reporting mark UPY for its yard service only locomotives, as it was a simple way to make space for other road use locos within the 9999 boundaries.
There were tales of locos being re-numbered at one major inspection and then being re-numbered literally at the next major inspection because they had been moved to a new classification group. The company made up re-numbering kits containing all the vinyl stickers for a locos new number, plus cleaning solvents and scrapers, rags, etc, and these kit boxes were sometimes chasing locos all over the UP system trying to catch up to that particular loco at its next major service inspection and often missing the unit before it was back out on the road. Chasing down one loco could be a task, try multiplying that by thousands of locomotives, firstly for their temporary number and then their final number.
No wonder the scheme took several years to complete.
Another thing to consider with any re-numbering scheme is that railroads want to keep various "fallen flag" reporting marks active or at least semi active to preserve legal rights to their use and ownership of any associated trademarks. That whole trademarks thing caused quite a bun fight within the railroad/railroad hobby community a few years ago, I think partly because an executive at UP got a little bit ahead of themselves and cost the company time/legal costs and more importantly railroad hobby community good will.
As to the hows and whys of re-numbering freight cars, well the picture gets a little murky and often it is just best if you can follow specific car examples if you have or are able to find photos of when a certain car was re-numbered.
Like locomotives there are many variables to consider when re-numbering a fleet, but unlike locos there are a lot more different types of freight cars and with different capacities and capabilities. How much longer will that class of car be in service before a major re-building program or retirement and scrapping? Six months, a year, two years, five years, ten years?
What about new cars introduced to the combined fleet? Do you put CSX reporting marks on them or keep a fallen flag reporting mark going?
It can do your head in if your not careful.
Which is why it is often best to follow specific loco or car examples.
Mark
Merry Christmas and welcome to Big Blue.
As to your car re-numbering question I am no expert on the matter, but from what I have gathered reading TRAINS and Model Railroader, the usual sort of answer comes down to when a car or a locomotive is shopped for periodic servicing. Locomotives are attended to more frequently and are also the more public face of a company, so you could expect to see them with patches until they come in for a major overhaul and re-paint.
I remember reading about Union Pacific's re-numbering following the acquisition of firstly Chicago and North Western, [CNW], Denver and Rio Grande Western [DRGW] and then the acquisition of Southern Pacific, which resulted in some locomotives being re-numbered several times. This was partly because UP now had more than 9999 locomotives, and partly because some were to be retired immediately or within 6 to 12 months, others were to be moved to make room in certain classes to for other locos to join that new class group. This is why UP now has the reporting mark UPY for its yard service only locomotives, as it was a simple way to make space for other road use locos within the 9999 boundaries.
There were tales of locos being re-numbered at one major inspection and then being re-numbered literally at the next major inspection because they had been moved to a new classification group. The company made up re-numbering kits containing all the vinyl stickers for a locos new number, plus cleaning solvents and scrapers, rags, etc, and these kit boxes were sometimes chasing locos all over the UP system trying to catch up to that particular loco at its next major service inspection and often missing the unit before it was back out on the road. Chasing down one loco could be a task, try multiplying that by thousands of locomotives, firstly for their temporary number and then their final number.
No wonder the scheme took several years to complete.Another thing to consider with any re-numbering scheme is that railroads want to keep various "fallen flag" reporting marks active or at least semi active to preserve legal rights to their use and ownership of any associated trademarks. That whole trademarks thing caused quite a bun fight within the railroad/railroad hobby community a few years ago, I think partly because an executive at UP got a little bit ahead of themselves and cost the company time/legal costs and more importantly railroad hobby community good will.
As to the hows and whys of re-numbering freight cars, well the picture gets a little murky and often it is just best if you can follow specific car examples if you have or are able to find photos of when a certain car was re-numbered.
Like locomotives there are many variables to consider when re-numbering a fleet, but unlike locos there are a lot more different types of freight cars and with different capacities and capabilities. How much longer will that class of car be in service before a major re-building program or retirement and scrapping? Six months, a year, two years, five years, ten years?
What about new cars introduced to the combined fleet? Do you put CSX reporting marks on them or keep a fallen flag reporting mark going?
It can do your head in if your not careful.
Which is why it is often best to follow specific loco or car examples.
Mark
Fake It till you Make It, then Fake It some More