1940's boxcars

[Jim Osborne]

I'm looking for photos of boxcars prior to the modern heralds, in an attempt to reasonably model a few. Got a set of Mont Switer's decals with its variety of heralds and reporting mark lettering styles, but I can't find any prototype photos that show which properly goes with what. Anybody have a snapshot or two they could share?

[Tim T Swan]

By "prior to the modern heralds" I assume you mean before the advent of the Loewy Circle-M heralds.  Here's a photo showing the script "The Hoosier Line" applied to 500 new boxcars in 1948.  Also a couple of photos of cars acquired new in 1942 with the steam-era round "Reliable Service" herald.  Note the unusual National B-1 trucks which about half of the 1942 cars were delivered with.  These trucks are available in HO from Intermountain and a few others.  The best color to use is Floquil's Southern oxide red.   In HO, the Red Caboose 10'IH kit is the closest to these.

[Jim Osborne]

Thanks, Tim. That's just what the doctor ordered.

Was there a system for determining which cars got "C.I.&L." reporting marks in lieu of "C.I.L.?"

[Mike Aufderheide]

Jim,

The ampersand was dropped in the 1930s.  This had to do with the AAR (requirement?) that got rid of them as a standard: so C&NW became CNW etc.  All the "modern" Monon freight cars delivered from 1940 on had just C.I.L..  I have a photo of a 3500 series single sheathed car, built in 1912, which still has the ampersand in 1942, so it was transitioning then.  I don't know if the C.I.L. lasted long enought to loose the periods as many reporting marks did.  The covered hoppers delivered in 1953 still had periods between letters.

Regards,

Mike Aufderheide