Re: {S-Scale List} Southern Crescent, the prototype

[Jamie Bothwell]

Dave and Anyone Else Who Cares,
The Chester cars and the JC Models cars that followed them, along with 
several other bits of S Scale history (Mid Gauge?) are best used to model cars 
from Pullman Standard or ACF prototypes because of the smooth roofs.  By 
smooth I mean that they didn't have corrugations running the length of the 
roof.  That being so, they could make decent models of Southern Railway cars.  
To say that they are patterned after SOU cars is a bit brash.  
I am holding in my hand a Chester baggage car kit.  It is not a match 
for any SOU prototype I can find.  It only has two doors per side while the SOU 
cars had three.  There is a baggage car owned by the Atlantic Coast Line that 
is a much better match for the Chester kit.  I'm planning to use the kit to 
model that one complete with purple letterboards!
I own a corrugated Roomette sleeper from either Chester or JC, and it 
is a model of an 18 Roomette car.  The only prototypes I have been able to find 
for that car are ATSF cars with Indian names.  (The smooth sided 18 roomette 
from JC is a decent match for cars that ran on the PRR and NYC.  All of these 
18 Roomette cars look great sitting on River Raisin Models Pullman 43R trucks!  
Thanks, Dan.)  
Southern owned several styles of coaches from both PS and AFC.  Some of 
which may be reasonably close to the Chester/JC cars.  Likewise, I would 
speculate that the observation is a decent match for a SOU car without getting 
mine out to count the windows.  I think the LN had some identical 
observations.  
I'm not sure of all the Chester body styles.  I had a shorty RPO, but I 
cut it up to make a diner.  I just don't remember what other kit I joined the 
pieces to.  It could have been Chester or JC.  I'm not sure.  I know the JC 
Models kits came in a coach, baggage/dorm, and the 18 roomette at least in the 
smooth sided versions.  I would guess they had matching fluted cars in the same 
configurations.  As I said, I have a sleeper.  I think there was an RPO and 
straight baggage.  I have never seen a smooth sided observation.
Jamie Bothwell
Always willing to talk about passenger cars in
Bethlehem, PA


On Sep 28, 2013, at 10:33 PM, David Engle riroc...@att.net wrote:

 
  I have surmised for many years that the old Chester streamlined cars with 
 the stamped aluminum sides were patterned after the cars of the SOU's 
 Southern Crescent passenger train.  Are there any known exceptions to this? 
 Dave Engle
 
 

Re: {S-Scale List} Southern Crescent, the prototype (Chester car sides ???)

[tennsgauge]

Dave, I hope someone more knowledgeable than I will be able to report on  
what railroad prototype was used for making the Chester or JC Models  cars.  
But I doubt they were based on the Southern  Crescent cars.  
 
Chester and JC Models cars have ACF fluting.  I have seen them  described 
as Pullman Standard sides but this is incorrect.  The  prototype cars on the 
Crescent, including those that survived to operate on  the Southern Crescent 
in the 1970s, were primarily Pullman Standard and Budd  cars.  
 
Southern did have two ACF Baggage Dorm cars (710,711), built for the  
Crescent that survived into the Southern Crescent era.  Plus there was  an ACF 
Baggage-mail car (3589) built for the Royal Palm that was  occasionally used 
on the Southern Crescent.  Some of the Chester/JC  Models sides could have 
been based on those cars.  
 
Southern also used at least three ACF coaches on the Southern Crescent  
that had been built for the Royal Palm.  But most of the coaches on the  
Southern Crescent were Budd or PS cars.  
 
All of the dining cars on the Southern Crescent were Budd cars.  The  
window arrangements on the Chester/JC Models dining cars were very close to the 
 
Budd prototypes, but again, the fluting of the Chester models was ACF. 
 
I really wonder if the Chester JC Models car sides were based on any one  
railroad.  But I would like to know.  Maybe someone else can chime  in.
 
 - Earl Henry, Nashville 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/28/2013 9:33:47 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
riroc...@att.net writes:

 
 
 
 


I have surmised for many years that the old Chester streamlined  cars with 
the stamped aluminum sides were patterned after the cars of the  SOU's 
Southern Crescent passenger train.  Are there any known exceptions  to this?  
Dave Engle

{S-Scale List} Southern Crescent, the prototype

[David Engle]

 I have surmised for many years that the old Chester streamlined cars with the 
stamped aluminum sides were patterned after the cars of the SOU's Southern 
Crescent passenger train.  Are there any known exceptions to this?  
Dave Engle