Walthers Plastic Headend Cars

Updated 10/14/05

To see the prototype for all Walthers cars, check this link.

Walther's Troop Conversion Express cars

Released in August, 2005, the converted Troop Kitchen cars were not owned by the ATSF, but were seen in consists of trains like the Fast Mail, Grand Canyon, California Limited, and Express Extras. The CB&Q version is documented on the Santa Fe #3 & #7 (932-4182). CB&Q had 300 of these express box cars.

What will be more interesting will be the release of the sleeper cars converted to express box/reefer applications. These are scheduled for December, 2005 (932-4161). The best website for information on these cars is that of Cannonball which has made flat kits of this car for several years, and which for some versions is the only route to take. Not every railroad converted the sleepers the same (window sheathing, inside vs. outside doors, door widths, vents), so prototype modeler beware. The NYC and REX versions were common on the ATSF and others may have appeared from time to time. For some reason the above website omits the REX cars which included 100 express box and 275 express reefers. With several variations of doors, roofs, and paint schemes, Walthers may be producing these for some time.

Walthers GACX 50' Wood Reefer

The prototype modeler will want to consult Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Vol. 7 & 9, concerning these cars for their specific modeling era. Some of the paint schemes released were of cars no longer on line by 1950. The only markings that are prototypical by January, 1951, are MP (2), MStP&SSM(SOO) (24), NC&StL (10), REX (891) and URTX (101). The PFE and SAL cars were 3' shorter versions but were still around in 51. The REX cars were common on the ATSF. See a comparison with the BLI and Precision Scale brass versions of this car.

Note that 932-5485 is in the paint scheme used until the mid 50s. 932-4571 is the later paint scheme. Two packs are also available.

Walthers PRR R50b

The Pennsy R50b express reefers were released by Walthers in 2003 and are to be re-released. They were common on ATSF express trains. Pennsy had 546 in January, 1951. The best review of these cars appears on line in the Pennsy Keystone Modeler.

Walthers PRR B60b

These baggage cars saw frequent head end service on the ATSF. Discussions of these cars deserve their own page.

Walthers 70' Hwt Baggage Express

Walthers REA Express Reefer

932-6240 - 932-6246. These cars come in REA, ATSF, GN, ACL, and undecorated.

According to V. S. Roseman, Railway Express, 1992, cars 6900-7899 were built by General American in 1958, Similar to the 6100s but riveted construction and diagonal pattern roof. These had an outside length of 54'11".

Greg Martin wrote, "I believe that the cars actually went into production as early as 1954. I think that Mike Brock mentioned to me that he located a photo of a car with a stencil date of 1955 on the air reservoir. Mike ask me about the built dates when we first saw them in Cocoa Beach and I mentioned that Bob's PHOTOS had a good selection showing earlier built dates."

For the Santa Fe modeler, 932-6244 can substitute for the 4050-4099 cars in the 1962 paint scheme, but there are many problems for the rivet counters. Photos of these cars can be found in Frank Ellington's Head End Cars p. 134-135 and SFRH&MS Painting and Lettering Guide p. 21

Corrections and input to Steve Sandifer.