Model Railroading > HO ATSF passenger car question

Posted for a friend.
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San Francisco Chief
I just got my diner. It's really nice.

Also the 8-2-2.
IT DOESN'T HAVE SKIRTS!

Every other car so far lines up with 54-58. What happened here?
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Do you have the answer?

Thanks in advance.

Larry

I don't believe those cars had skirts - photo in Warbonnet issue of the train shows an 8-2-2 sans skirts... Towards the end many railroads removed them to speed servicing...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> I don't believe those cars had skirts - photo in
> Warbonnet issue of the train shows an 8-2-2 sans
> skirts... Towards the end many railroads removed
> them to speed servicing...

Yes, the skirting springs, hangers, and hinges would rust and/or clog with dirt and grime. They were a nusance and on occasion would delay servicing.

That said, Santa Fe was unusual in that while many of these prewar cars did have their skirting removed, (some beginning in the late 1940's) other Pullmans delivered in 1950-1951 without skirting, had them added later. The two types that had this feature added on some cars were the Pine 10-6 and the ACF 4-4-2 Regal series. A few cars retained skirting into the Amtrak era.

Chair cars delivered in 1950, the PS 44 seat cars, came without skirting as did the LCD and lounge cars by PS. None of these cars had skirting added, although there may have been discussions regarding reapplication. In 1954, the Budd chair car came with skirting. There seemed to be an internal struggle between upper management who wanted their trains to present a certain external appearance, and the operations department who were tasked with getting the consists out of the yards on time. Ultimately the yard forces won as Santa Fe sought to reduce costs. A few of the Budd chair cars retained their skirting into the Amtrak era.

All post war Pullmans acquired the 41-CDO-11 (outside swing-hanger type) trucks sometime following delivery and completed by the mid-1960's, with the exception of the Blue series 10-3-2 which retained the original trucks. A number of those cars re-fitted acquired these trucks from Budd baggage cars, which received the original trucks from the Pullmans. A few of the prewar cars, originally assigned to the SF Chief has these trucks added. Walther's has accurately modeled these prewar cars as they appeared for service on the SF Chief.

Many of the diners that were originally assigned to the SF Chief were de-skirted, a process that began in 1954. Most of those cars also were re-fitted with 41-CDO-11 trucks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/14 06:03 by ATSF3751.

Thanks Bill, and ATSF3751

Larry