D&RGW did not purchase arch roof cars, but when it took over the Denver & Salt
Lake in 1947, it acquired a number of arch roof baggage and express cars, which
it continued to run on the Craig Local - Yampa Valley Mail - trains 9 and 10 -
between Denver and Craig. The cars were relettered for D&RGW, renumbered into
series with similar D&RGW cars, and later were painted into the 1950s passenger
scheme of aspen gold and silver with four black stripes, lasting into the
1960s. The ex-D&SL cars were recognizable by their roof vents. It appears
none of the D&SL coaches survived into the D&RGW. The one heavyweight
exception is D&SL office car Marcia, which is on display in Craig, having been
donated by the D&RGW after the merger of the D&SL.
The Yampa Valley Mail lasted until April 1968, with a D&SL baggage RPO runnning
until almost the very end. A lightweight combine-dormitory and coach from the
Prospector or Royal Gorge was used after the mail contract was ended for the
normal two-car consist.
In 1939, with the inaugaration of the Exposition Flyer, the D&RGW
"streamstyled" a number of heavyweight diner-lounges, coaches, and the Glenwood
Canyon observation to provide a more modern appearance and also ice-activated
air conditioning and flush windows. The clerestory roofs were changed to an
arch style, and skirting was added to make the cars appear more modern. Some
were lettered in an old English font, but this did not last long. In the late
1940s, some of these cars were painted black with yellow stripes to match the
original scheme of the FTs and F3s and served on the Prospector. A chapter in
Joseph Strapac's Rio Grande Diesels, Volume 3, lists and describes these cars.
In 1947, three of the D&RGW baggage express cars were rebuilt in a similar
manner into baggage-dormitory cars for the Prospector. Several of these cars
continued in passenger service into the late 1960s and were then placed in MOW
service.
- John Manion
Denver, CO
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Bob Webber <rgz17@comcast.net>
Well, again, it depends on your tolerance. If it is truly what is
termed a "Harriman" car (a misnomer as it should be "Common Standard"
) then it has no built up center sill, it has an arched (oval) roof
from end to end, with the roof plates perpendicular to the sides from
end to end, and the plates overlapping on an even/odd basis. No
D&RGW car had a "Harriman roof", no D&RGW coach had an arched
roof. The D&RGW coaches that appear to have an arched roof have a
roof that is a clerestory version that is sheathed into a very much
shallower arch (in fact the top is not arched, but is the same as the
clerestory). Again, it depends on tolerances, but that isn't anywhere
close in my book.
It may be close to a WP car, I'd have to look at it. But the WP cars
were not Common Standard cars, they were a UP design that was
modified to suit the WP. Therefore it had a built up (Pullman)
centersill and other items of note. Again, it depends on your tolerance.
What I would like to see is passenger car modeling tolerance like
that of freight cars - where the ends, underframe and roof actually
matter. Add to that the method of building each side, and you have a
much better ability to get closer to prototype. If all we're going
to do is settle for stand ins, we'll not get what the freight car
community has now. People have, I think, learned not to say roof walk.
At 10:04 PM 12/29/2007, Bob Webber wrote:
>At 01:30 PM 12/29/2007, Michal Basta wrote:
>>Jerry:
>>
>>yes, it looks similar to the 900 series D&RGW cars before the upper window
>>parts were blanked over, unfortunately, the JnJ kit has too much windows (11
>>pairs instead of 10), the other issue is the DRGW cars did have very
>>distinctive arched restroom windows. But I agree that kit might be starting
>>point for a kitbash, especialy if one wants to model these cars as before
>>the upper window parts were blanked over, i.e. definitely before the era of
>>Expo.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>Michal B.
>>
>>
>>
>> > 2a. Re: For those interested in the Exposition Flyer - N scale
>> > Posted by: "Jerry M. LaBoda" jmlaboda2@yahoo.com jmlaboda2
>> > Date: Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:30 am ((PST))
>> >
>> > To add to usable cars list, the J-n-J "Harriman" 80' coach (which is more
>> > appropriate for a Barney and Smith car than a
>> "Harriman"). While there is
>> > no easy answer to the idea of the arched roof the sides, with the window
>> > frames modified, just as they were done by the Grande, would be quite
>> > useful in creating these unique cars.
>> >
>> > jerry
>> > <jmlaboda2@yahoo.com>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>Bob Webber
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