Can anyone tell me if the Walthers ACL 10-6 is a correct model of the prototype and, if so, what year were these cars issued? Would they have been seen on the New Haven RR in runthrough trains? Thank you.

Robert Gross

-- Robert Gross (robert.gross@bmwna.com), April 12, 2004

Answers

Michael:

Thank you for the feedback. One point of clarification: The New Haven Point Pullmans were delivered with Pullman Green Roofs and Window bands, Not Hunter. At least that is what the New Haven Passenger Diagram Book issues by the NHRHTA says. Oddly, all off the other 1947- 49 purchse of passenger equipment did have Hunter window bands (coaches, parlors, grilles, diners and observations.

Thanks for the ACL info though.

Rob Gross

-- Robert Gross (robert.gross@bmwna.com), May 23, 2004.

I will not attempt to answer the first part of the question as I do not model. Joe Oates and others who do are the experts here. What I can comment on is the second part of your question regarding use of lightweight sleepers on the New Haven run through trains.

The initial run through service starting in 1951-52 utilized primarily heavyweight Pullman cars. The ACL and its partners simply did not have enough lightweight Pullmans to permit assigning lightweight cars on all of its trains, especially during the winter season. Even the Florida Special had to run with numbers of off line cars from the Pullman fleet.

During the 1953-54 season, a single lightweight car-a New Haven 14 roomette 4 double bedroom car in the "Point" series was assigned to the through Boston-Miami run. In some of the consists I have seen from this period, this type of car was not running and was replaced by a rebuilt heavyweight Pullman with roomettes/bedrooms.

That is not to say that the car type did not run-it most probably did. Would the car have been replaced by an ACL 10-6? Doubtful- unless it was at the cusps of the season and a car was actually available.

My recommendation would be to populate the train with heavyweights and if a lightweight is desired, then place a New Haven style 14- 4 "Point" series car. In the time frame in question, such a car would have a Hunter Green stripe through its window panel, with script New York, New Haven and Hartford plaques over the trucks. A total of 27 of these cars were built to Pullman plan 4159 under Lot 6822. The Hunter Green window ban was repainted orange after 1955, but by the time the 1955-56 winter season rolled around, the through service to and from Boston was discontinued. This did not mean that NH sleepers no longer ran south of Washington DC. SAL would regularly lease NH 1954-55 built 6 roomette 4 double bedroom 6 section cars for operation on the "Tidewater", ACL would lease similar cars from the NH and Bangor and Aroostook for service on the "Havana Special" and the 14-4 cars could appear on any ACL or SAL train in the winter season, especially in the 1960's.

I plan to write an article for "Lines South" dealing with some of the off line sleepers/diners that ran south during the 1960's.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak@mnr.org), April 12, 2004.

If you are talking about the latest 10-6 sleepers,they are correct for ATSF only.Close to CB&Q.Not correct for PRR,RFP,ACL, or SAL. The biggest difference is the aisle window spacing.Looking at the car with the aisle on the right,the window spacing is what we call the "even" spacing.IE 2-4-6 as apposed to 1-3-5 that are on "our" cars.In other words,by starting at the far end (your right)first a blank,then space 6,then space 5,then space 4,then space 3,then space, 2 then space 1,then another blank.A couple of other small problems,the roof has the typical ATSF vent over the vestibule door and the car has no skirts.

-- J.Oates (uj67@mindspring.com), April 12, 2004.