12-21-2011, 02:23 PM
Railway Express didn't have any 40-foot cars with REX reporting marks. Some roads leased 40 foot box express cars to Railway Express, but they kept their own reporting marks. The ACL car, it's my guess, had the step at the door and the grab added when it went into MW service (note the window cut into the side). I think the ACL had some 40-foot box express, but they were USRA rebuilds that didn't have the AAR style tabbed bottom sill. The PRR car is an X29, a very, very large class that had some box express cars in it, but they had PRR reporting marks. In the 1930s and 40s, they had Railway Express lettering, but after the 1950s, the ones still in box express service lost that lettering. Walthers still has a set of three available, not sure if this number is in the current set:
The one in the photo looks like it may have been in MW or company service, depending on whether the color it faded from was yellow or gray. Again, the step was probably for MW or company service use. But Doctor Wayne is a respectable dude and may have more info than I do!
The one in the photo looks like it may have been in MW or company service, depending on whether the color it faded from was yellow or gray. Again, the step was probably for MW or company service use. But Doctor Wayne is a respectable dude and may have more info than I do!