Canadian National pass car numbers

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I'm repainting 4 Athearn Heavyweight passenger cars in Candian national colors, pre-1954 (Green with black roof). I need CN car numbers for a diner and an observation car. The observation car probably would be named as well?
Doctor Wayne? CNnutbar? Anyone?
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
I'll take a stab at it, although Mister Nutbar has a more complete listing. Of CNR dining cars, only CN 1267 was named: St. James. The car number is centred over the trucks at both ends of the car, and centred vertically between the sidesill and the belt rail. The name is centred lengthwise at the middle of the car, and vertically the same as the numbers. CANADIAN NATIONAL is centred in the letterboard, with the final "N" in CANADIAN above the "T" in ST. and the first "N" in NATIONAL above the "E" in JAMES.
Some other heavyweight diner numbers are 1265, 1293, 1297, 1300, and 1326. Most that are painted in the green scheme have the numbers in the same place as 1267, while some have DINING or DINING above the word CAR at the place where the name is on St. James. Car 1300 has no numbers over the trucks: instead, at the centre of the car, below the belt rail, are the words DINING CAR, with the number 1300 below that.
I can't find any photos of observation cars, so I can't comment on the layout of the lettering or if the car is similar to the Athearn car in appearance. Some numbers and names listed are: CN1040 - CACOUNA, CN1063 - FORT LAWRENCE, CN1068 - FORT HOWE, CN1073 - FORT BRABANT, CN1076 - FORT LENNOX, CN1088 - CAPE CHIGNECTO, CN1098 - BURRARD.
Sorry that I can't be of more help.

Wayne
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Don't worry, you've been more help than I've gottne so far. Just a couple questions though.
Where is the belt rail? Is it just below the windows?
I'm guessing the letterboard is just above the windows then?
Now that the diner had the numbers centerd over the trucks, would a coach be the same?

Thanks
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
Yeah, the belt rail is the riveted batten strip just below the windows, and the letterboard is the area between the tops of the windows and the roof. The coaches seem to be a real mish-mash of lettering layouts. Some had the numbers centred over the trucks, others centred lengthwise on the carbody and vertically between the sill and belt rail. These latter ones might also have the car type above the number, such as FIRST CLASS COACH, SECOND CLASS COACH, TOURIST, OR COLONIST. As with any cars in the all-green scheme, the CANADIAN NATIONAL in the letterboard might be replaced by the tilted wafer herald, centred over the trucks. In this situation, the car number appeared at the centre of the car, centred vertically below the belt line. It seems that most cars, perhaps all, with the wafer heralds did not have the CANADIAN NATIONAL in the letterboard area. The later circular heralds with the maple leaf were used only on the cars in the green and black paint scheme.
With an all-time roster of passenger cars approaching 15,000, you could probably find all sorts of variations beyond what I've outlined, too. Coach numbers seem to be all four digits, but they're all over the place, and without photos, I hesitate to cite particular ones, as there were many wooden cars still in service into the '50s. Why don't you send cn nutbar a pm asking for a few coach numbers. He has the main CNR Passenger Equipment book, while mine is only the companion volume. You may be able to borrow this book from your local library - our small-town library was able to get a copy for me from the Ottawa Public Library. The title of that book is: Canadian National Railways Passenger Equipment, by Gay Lepkey. Mister Nutbar can furnish you with the ISBN number.

Wayne
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Thanks for the picture but the car is too new for the model that I'm building.
I also have been to the CN SIG site but didn't find anything there either.

Wayne, I do have the decals (from CDS) for the old era passenger cars with the wafer logo.. When I read your last message I had to quickly check since I bought those decals two years ago.
I'll send CNnutbar a message like you suggested, seeing as my public library isn't as well stocked with train books as yours and wouldn't have that book.
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
Thanks for the picture but the car is too new for the model that I'm building.

Not only that, but that car, which is numbered 96, is not an observation car, but rather an office car, used by railroad executives.

Glen, my library didn't have the book, but was able to obtain it through loan from another library. Your local library should have a similar service.

Wayne
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Thanks again for the help. I airbrushed the black roofs of the cars today and probably next week I'll be decalling them.
I found that since the cars either had the Canadian National on the letter board of the wafers on the sides I can use one CDS decal set for two cars. That works in my favor anyhow because I have two sets that are imitation gold and two sets are a yellow. I'll end up using the gold ones.
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Ian Wilson's books might help, but it'd be hit and miss...

You might also try the fallen-flags site for pictures, but again no guarantees of older pics.

Andrew
 
Top