More Purgatory Box Rescues Part 1

 Greetings All,

More Purgatory Box Rescues Part 1

Purgatory: the condition, process, or place of purification or temporary punishment in which, according to medieval Christian and Roman Catholic belief, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven. Purgatory (Latin: purgatorium; from purgare, “to purge”) has come to refer as well to a wide range of historical and modern conceptions of postmortem suffering short of everlasting damnation.

Over the years my so called purgatory box has been a resting place for rolling stock and motive power that no longer meet the needs or standards of the layout as my modeling has improved and become more focused. 

The rolling stock and motive power definitely lie in a state of grace and provided many freight cars over the years that have been repainted, upgraded and given a new life. I recently dug deep under the layout to uncover some more rolling stock that has been in the purgatory box for too long. Lets take a look:

PRR Coal Hopper and Gondola Get New Owner

A Model Power PRR coal hopper with a glued in load that I made and a PRR gondola see the florescent light for the first time in a very long time.

The hopper car has body mounted knuckle couplers and metal wheelsets installed. The gondola has knuckle couplers installed but retained its plastic wheels. 

The ex PRR coal hopper is now KP&W #202 and is ready for service. The 202 joins KP&W #233 and #234 in the KP&W coal hopper 200 series fleet.

The KP&W gets an additional gondola added to its fleet. Note both cars now have Kadee #5 couplers and the gondola has received metal wheels. The 2102 joins KP&W gondola #2140 in my fleet.

1:87 PC Ralph inspects the new KP&W freight cars.

KP&W #2102 sits in North Side Yard awaiting interchange with the LIRR and movement to Mid Island Steel with a load of steel coils from Kings Port Steel.

Later that week KP&W #2102 is back in North Side Yard awaiting movement to Terminal Yard with a load of scrap steel from Gershow Recycling for Kings Port Steel.

On another day a five car block of gondolas with scrap steel for Kings Port Steel that includes KP&W #2102 are ready to move from North Side Yard to Terminal Yard.

Empty KP&W coal hopper #202 rolls past RA Tower enroute to Terminal Yard.

The KP&W 202 gets loaded at Hudson Coal.

Atlantic Pacific Railroad Boxcars Makeover

A pair of Atlantic Pacific Railroad boxcars get a facelift during this decal-palooza. Both of these cars have been languishing in their boxes since newer and better looking APRR models were painted, lettered and added to the fleet.

AP combo door boxcar #16035 was painted when 1:1 Sir Neal first received the custom made Atlantic Pacific Railroad decals. The experimental green looked alright for awhile. The car is an AHM product that had been upgraded with additional weight, body mounted Kadee #5s, replacement stirrups and metal wheelsets.

AP double door boxcar #82794 was painted and lettered when 1:1 Sir Neal settled on orange as the APRR's official color. This is an Accurail product that has metal wheels and body mounted Kadee #5 couplers and a broken stirrup.

The AP shells have been rattle can painted the new APRR corporate orange.

Are you mocking me?! With a plethora of decals to work with I'm mocking up and pimping out the AP boxcars.

AP #5035 has been released from the Patti-O Paint Shop and is looking sharp in Terminal Yard. The 5035 has also received all new stirrups made by Tichy.

AP #4160 is now ready for assignment. The 4160 is in pool service in Empire City as the decal adjacent to the reporting marks indicates the car is to be forwarded when empty to the EBRR at North Side Yard.

1:87 Sir Neal checks out and hopefully approves of the newest APRR rolling stock that will ply the rails of the NYCTL.

The AP 5035 and 4160 get the once over from the RA Tower operator.

The newly painted AP boxcars are ready to be moved to PC Richard for loading.

On another day the AP 4160 and 5035 are spotted for loading at Superior Furniture in Empire City.

The AP 4160 and 5035 now loaded with furniture are moved to North Side Yard for their next movements.

Chesapeake & Ohio 40' REA boxcar #225

This Roundhouse shell timeshares a frame with other Roundhouse 40' track cleaning boxcars. The lettering is barely discernible and it hasn't seen much if any track time in recent years. 

Originally purchased for use as a headend and track cleaning car in a passenger train I decided it was time for a repaint and new lettering job.

The former C&O REA 40' boxcar is pulled from the shop.

The newly painted and lettered P&E bulk mail storage boxcar is now ready for service.  

The P&E silver boxcar makes its first revenue run and polishes the tracks it rolls thru Empire City.

The newly painted and lettered car fits in very nicely on the headend of a great steel fleet passenger train.

40' Stock Cars

The below cars are from Bachmann and were originally in green and yellow C&NW and blue NP paint. The cars had been converted to body mounted knuckle couplers have metal wheelsets already installed. 

1:87 Sir Neal inspects the newly painted AP 2758 and 2760 that join the previously painted AP 2794 and 2735. The four cars have been cleaned with plywood added to their sides and no longer haul livestock.

The four repurposed AP boxcars are now in The Empire Belt RRs North Side Yard awaiting their next move. As RRs no longer moved much livestock these old cars have found new uses to earn revenue. 

Researching for alternate uses for modified stock cars I came across several possibilities that include bricks, cinder blocks and other cement and fired clay products. Grain, hay and straw were also mentioned as loads for these cars. 

A four car block of bricks from Port Owen Brick heads to Gotham Builders Supply in Laurel Hill (Queens) NY in LIRR Train MA-4.

We'll close this out here for this week and follow up with a part 2 down the road that will include the repainting and lettering of these two PCCM Southern Railway Pulpwood cars.

Thanks for reading!!!

See you soon!!!