70-ft Baggage Express cars
As construction techniques for carbuilding and track & roadbed improved, car capacity increased from 60-ft to 70-ft, nominally measured at 74 feet over the coupler faces or 70 feet between the end sills. These cars were used for carrying express packages, pre-sorted mail, and passenger luggage from the 1920s to the advent of Amtrak. In mail & express service (M&E), they were interlined with connecting railroads to provide seemless service.
One could find CN cars on Grand Trunk Western trains rolling into Chicago's Dearborn Station. Texas & Pacific cars could be seen on their parent road Missouri Pacific, and on Southern Pacific trains west of El Paso to LAUPT. There is much photographic evidence of New York Central cars driving into LA by way of RI-SP, ATSF and UP. By the 1960's, railroads increasingly relied on M&E traffic to offset dwindling passenger ticket revenues. The express business in U.S. known as Railway Express Agency (REA) was theequivalent of today's UPS or FedEx. The REA provided express shipment and door-to-door service on trains using such cars as these and with a fleet of delivery trucks. REA's roots are partly in Wells Fargo & Co Stage Lines, which gave it's name to today's bank. The REA ended in bankruptcy in 1975.
Features: Extra fine details, crisp paint & printing, sliding baggage doors, nicely weighted for the runner, new adjustable draft gear and 6-wheel truck with 36" metal wheelsets, MT Couplers.
Multiple configurations: arched roof with Garland vents, arched roof with Utility vents, and clerestory; curve end trim and straight end trim, brake wheel or brake lever all as per prototype. Paint schemes 1st Batch: C&O, NYC, DRG&W, T&P, C of G, CN, C&NW, CRI&P, Wabash, and unlettered. Paint schemes 2nd Batch: B&O (merged), CP, CB&Q, Frisco, MP (Jenks), N&W (tuscan red), NP, SP (ex. EP&SW), Wabash-COSL
70-ft Heavyweight Baggage-Express Cars: New Roads! Taking Reservations. These cars, orders due Feb. 29, 2012; ETA, April-May 2012, MSRP: $44.49 single, $83.99 2-car set
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| Item # | Atlantic Coast Line, Class C-8 Express Car, Pullman 1926, Purple Streamlined Colors --Era: Streamlined passenger trains of the ACL | Price | Status |
| 262 |
Car #1607, single |
$44.49 | |
| 263 |
Car #1624, single |
$44.49 | |
| 264TS |
Car nos. 1612 & 1629, 2-car set |
$83.99 |
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| Item # | Canadian National, Wet Noodle scheme, National Steel Car --Era: Dec. 1961 and onwards ... | Price | Status |
| 265 |
Car, #8816, single |
$44.49 | |
| 266 |
Car, #8825, single |
$44.49 | |
| 267TS |
Car nos. 8819 & 8828, 2-car set |
$83.99 |
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| Item # |
Chesapeake & Ohio, "Express", 1923 Pullman, clerestory roof --Era: 1940s to Amtrak |
Price | Status |
| 268 |
Car #271, single |
$44.49 | |
| 269 |
Car #280, single |
$44.49 | |
| 270TS |
Car nos. 274 & 287, 2-car set |
$83.99 |
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| Item # |
Southern Pacific Maintenance-of-Way (formerly EP&SW) Baggage Car, Silver, Light Gray, Dark Gray --Era: 1957 - 1960s |
Price | Status |
| 271 |
Car #SPMW 4436 |
$44.49 |
For cars below: orders due: Jan. 31, 2012; ETA, April-May 2012
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| Item # | Southern Railway, 70-ft Arched Roof Baggage & Express Car, 1942 St. Louis Car Co., Pullman Green | Price | Status |
| 250 | Car No. 535 | $44.49 | |
| 251 | Car No. 543 | $44.49 | |
| 252TS | Car nos. 530, 546, 2-car set | $83.99 |
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| Item # | Soo Line, 70-ft Clerestory Steel Baggage & Express Car, 1913 Barney & Smith, Maroon Color | Price | Status |
| 253 | Car No. 1624 | $44.49 | |
| 254 | Car No. 1625 | $44.49 | |
| 255 | Car No. 1626 | $44.49 |
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| Item # | Union Pacific, 69-ft Arched Roof Utility Vents Baggage & Express Car, 1929 Standard Steel, Yellow Streamlined Colors | Price | Status |
| 256 | Car No. 3060 | $44.49 | |
| 257 | Car No. 3064 | $44.49 | |
| 258TS | Car nos. 3055 & 3066, 2-car set | $83.99 |
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| Item # | New Haven, 70-ft Clerestory Steel Baggage & Express Car, Osgood Bradley 1914-17, McGinnis paint scheme | Price | Status |
| 259 | Car No. 5507 | $44.49 | |
| 260 | Car No. 5519 | $44.49 | |
| 261TS | Car nos. 5500 & 5538, 2-car set | $83.99 |
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B&O was founded in 1827, began operating in 1830 and is hailed as the first common carrier railroad in the United States. B&O linked Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis in the west with Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia to the east. New York City was connected through with partner railroads: Reading and Jersey Central. B&O also served Indianapolis, Louisville, Toledo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Charleston WV, and Pittsburgh. Their motto was “Linking 13 Great States with the Nation.”
B&O had the distinct disadvantage of being in the shadows of two large Eastern Trunk lines: NYC and PRR. B&O routes were longer and more mountainous than the others. They field storied passenger trains such as the Capitol Limited (Nos. 5 & 6), The National Limited (Nos.1 & 2), The Shenadoah (No.s 7&8), The Washington-Chicago Express (Nos. 9 &10), The Ambassador (Nos. 19 & 20), Nos. 53-54 The Cincinnatian. Always a frugal railroad, their excellent car shop rebuild and modernized their obsolete rolling stock into “streamlined” cars.
In 1960, C&O began purchasing B&O stock in earnest. C&O officially gained control of the B&O in 1962. While operations were largely kept separate, marketing and other incidental functions were combined, including publishing joint C&O/B&O passenger timetables. Later, some of B&O passenger cars were repainted in the merged colors. At this time, passenger trains in the original B&O, merged B&O and C&O painted schemes began showing up. Fred Farley’s book “Twlight of the Great Trains” has a nice write up on C&O/B&O passenger operations in this period of time. These baggage cars were C&O ancestry painted in the new B&O merged colors.
| Item # | Baltimore & Ohio 70-ft Arched Roof Baggage-Express Car in merged scheme with C&O, c. 1963. | Price | In Stock |
| 225 | Car No. 763 | $42.89 | |
| 226 | Car No. 767 | $42.89 |
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The Canadian Pacific Railway was established on February 16, 1881 as a condition for British Columbia to join the Confederation of Canada. It became Canada’s first transcontinental railway in 1885 much from the backs of unsung construction labors from China and Europe for a cheap 75 cents to $2.50 per day. CPR became the force that helped settled the western prairies and united the nation together. These Wheels of Time arched baggage cars are a good stand-in for CPR 4300 series cars. They had an inside sill measurement of 70’-2” and were numbered from 4300 to 4347 in various batches (1960 car roster). They were originally built in 1919 and had a capacity of 30 tons. Thanks to Paul Ingraham and Don Chehowy for their help in making this CPR car possible.
| Item # | Canadian Pacific 70-ft Arched Roof Baggage-Express Car, 4300 series. | Price | In Stock |
| 227 | Car No. 4307 | $42.89 | |
| 228 | Car No. 4317 | $42.89 | |
| 229TS | Car nos. 4324, 4346 2-car set | $79.99 |
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The CB&Q was jointly controlled by Northern Pacific and Great Northern, and had a dense network of mainline & branches covering much of northern Illiniois/Missouri, part of Iowa and Nebraska with routes to Billings, Montana. Their subsidiaries Colorado & Southern and Fort Worth & Denver added route miles to Colorado and Texas. Their blazing fast EMD’s E5 in stainless steel with matching Budd passenger trains at speeds were an icon. However, "Q" and it’s subsidaries carded a sizable fleet of heavyweight passenger cars including baggage-express cars. These baggage-express cars were originally constructed with wood bodies and later sheathed in steel. They were 70’- 9-1/2” over the end sills. CB&Q did not assign a class number to these cars. Wheels of Time baggage car are a good stand-in for these CB&Q cars. CB&Q baggage cars have the distinction - the only railroad that I am aware of - to have door openings on one side of the car closer together than on the opposite side.
| Item # | Chicago Burlington & Quincy 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express Car | Price | In Stock |
| 230 | CB&Q 1499 | $42.89 | |
| 231 | C & S 220 (sublettered) | $42.89 | |
| 232TS | CB&Q 1491, CB&Q 1497; 2-car set | $79.99 |
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The “Frisco” or St. Louis - San Francisco (SLSF reporting marks) never quite made it to their second name sake city. The railroad had about 5.700 route miles covering nine states, mainly radiating out of their system hub of Springfield, Missouri. Frisco operated a joint train with Katy, the Texas Special until January 1959. Other important trains they operated were Firefly (Tulsa-KS), Meteor (St. Louis-Oklahoma City), Sunnyland (KS-St. Louis-Atlanta/Pensacola), Will Rogers (St. Louis-Oklahoma City). These baggage-express cars were built by AC&F in May 1930 as Lot No. 1060. It was measured 70-ft over the end sills. Rebuilt in 1942 by Frisco. Many thanks to Tom Galbraith for originally sending me information and photos on these cars back in ‘05.
| Item # | Frisco 70-ft Arched Roof Baggage-Express Car, Pullman green | Price | In Stock |
| 233 | Car No. 433; Garland roof vents | $42.89 | |
| 234 | Car No. 439; Garland roof vents | $42.89 | |
| 235TS | Car nos. 435, 438; Garland roof vents; 2-car set | $79.99 | Sold Out |
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Missouri Pacific baggage-express cars were built from Dec. 20, 1920 by AC&F. Originally numbered 4186-4193. They were renumbered as 752-759 sometime in 1963. They were equipped with Linstrom & Miner brake handles, 3 Kw Safety generator. Cars weighted between 126,900 to 130,400 lbs. They were repainted in ‘Jenks’ blue scheme . . . informally named when Downing Jenks became president of Mo-Pac. Mr. Jenks, in 1961, started to modernized the railroad organization as well as the capital plant. This included simplifying the passenger train paint scheme which these cars represent.
| Item # | Missouri Pacific 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express Car, Jenks blue scheme | Price | In Stock |
| 236 | Car No. 753 | $42.89 | |
| 237 | Car No. 759 | $42.89 | |
| 238TS | Car nos. 754, 757; 2-car set | $79.99 |
Norfolk & Western Railway was chartered back in 1836 by the Virginia State Legislature. Mainly a coal railroad, however they carded a number of passenger trains such as Powhatan Arrow and The Pocahontas; joint trains such as The Pelican, The Birmingham Special. In 1964, N&W acquired and merged a number of other roads including Virginian, Wabash, Nickel Plate, P &WV, AC&Y. They owned but never merged D&H and EL too.
N&W baggage-express car class BEg roster 35 cars of this kind. Numbered 1301 - 1312, 1314-1320, 1332-1336. They had a capacity of 60,000 lbs. They also had an enclosed lavatory which is rare for a baggage-express car. Originally painted in the Tuscan Red scheme. They were still on the roster in 1967.
| Item # | Norfolk & Western 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express Car, Tuscan red paint scheme | Price | In Stock |
| 239 | Car No. 1312 | $42.89 | |
| 240 | Car No. 1331 | $42.89 | |
| 241TS | Car nos. 1315, 1320; 2-car set | $79.99 |
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Northern Pacific Railway was charted by Congress in 1864. The goal was to connect the vast stretches of land between the Great Lakes to the Puget Sound on the Pacific. The modern day NP field their flagship train, North Coast Limited and their secondary train, Mainstreeter between Chicago via CB&Q and Seattle.
These heavyweight clerestory baggage-express cars were built by Pullman in 1915. They lasted in revenue service for some 51 years . . . until sometime in 1966 when they were transferred to Maintenance-of-Way service as used as Outfit Tool Cars. Measured 70’-10” over end sills and 74’-2-1/4” over buffers.
The lettering style for these baggage-express cars reflect the North Coast Limited style and not the older heavyweight and freight equipment fonts. They were painted in the then standard Two-Tone Green with White as developed by Raymond Loewry, the famous industrial designer.
An interesting note about the origins of the Northern Pacific logo: Inspired by Taijitu on the Korean Flag (also commonly known as the yin and yang) at the Chicago’s World’s Fair in 1893, E.H. McHenry of Northern Pacific sent sketches of this symbol to C.S. Fee who collaborated on this logo which became the familiar mark of the Northern Pacific Railway.
| Item # | Northern Pacific 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express Car, Two-Tone Green paint scheme | Price | In Stock |
| 242 | Car No. 1500 | $42.89 |  |
| 243 | Car No. 1510 | $42.89 | |
| 244TS | Car nos. 1502, 1513; 2-car set | $79.99 |
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The Southern Pacific purchased the El Paso & Southwestern along with their rolling stock and locomotives. It was one of the largest piece of railroad acquired by SP. Yet by 1963, most of the EP&SW route was abandon. These EP&SW baggage cars were built by Pullman in several batches: 6/30/11 through 8/9/23. They were renumbered by SP in 1925-1927. They carried SP numbers 6510 to 6520 and always wore an dark olive green paint.
| Item # | Southern Pacific ex-EP&SW 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express Car | Price | In Stock |
| 245 | Car No. 6512 | $42.89 | Sold Out |
| 246 | Car No. 6520 | $42.89 | |
| 247TS | Car nos. 6515, 6518; 2-car set | $79.99 |
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The City of St. Louis (trains 9 & 10), a joint Union Pacific - Wabash (SP for S.F. bound cars) Streamliner began daily operations on June 2, 1946. Originally painted in all two-tone gray and pulled by slant nose E-6A units with large UP ‘wings’. Wabash baggage cars ran between St. Louis and Kansas City. At Cheyenne, the LA bound cars were switched to the Los Angeles Limited (No. 1), San Francisco bound cars were switched to the Overland Limited (No. 27), and Portland bound cars switched to the Portland Rose (No. 11). Wabash heavyweight arched roof baggage-express cars nos. 367 and 345 were assigned to the CoSL service. Originally, they too were painted in two-tone gray. On April 29, 1951, CoSL became a through train to LA with switching done at Denver for No. 27 and No. 11. By 1952, the entire train was a sea of yellow and gray - the new Streamliner colors including the originally assigned Wabash baggage cars. CoSL ended when Norfolk & Western (swallowed up Wabash in a merge) ended the Kansas City - St. Louis segment of the train on April 28-29, 1968. From then on, UP renamed the train the City of Kansas City.
| Item # | Wabash, City of St. Louis (joint train) 70-ft Arched Roof Baggage-Express Car | Price | Status as below |
| 248 | Car No. 367 | $42.89 | Sold Out |
| 249 | Car No. 345 | $42.89 | Sold Out |
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| Item # | Unlettered, Pullman green with black roof |
Price | Sold out |
| 223 | Clerestory | $40.99 |
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| Item # | Unlettered, Pullman green with black roof |
Price | In Stock |
| 224 | Arched Roof with Utility Vents |
$40.99 |
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| Item # | Chesapeake & Ohio 70-ft Arched Roof Baggage-Express |
Price |
Status |
| 200 | Car No. 307, C&O for progress paint scheme | $38.99 | |
| 201 | Car No. 314 (no star), C&O for progress paint scheme; Eisenhower's funeral car* |
$38.99 | |
| 202TS |
Car No. 309 & 315, C&O for progress paint scheme; 2-car set | $75.99 |
*C&O baggage car no. 314 was made famous by carrying the late President Eisenhower in 1969 back to Abilene, Kansas. No. 314 is now in the B&O Railroad Museum. 1929 Pullman Mfg. Co. These C&O baggage-express cars were used on C&O streamlined trains up to the time of Amtrak.
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| Item # | Texas & Pacific 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express |
Price | Status |
| 203 | Car No. 1117, T & P "Eagle" paint scheme |
$38.99 | |
| 204 | Car No. 1125, T & P "Eagle" paint scheme | $38.99 | |
| 205TS | Car Nos. 1120 & 1124, T & P "Eagle" paint scheme; 2-car set. |
$75.99 |
These cars have 8' & 6' doors which were different than the smaller doors of parent Missouri Pacific baggage-express cars. Built in 1925 by American Car & Foundry; Lot 9886.
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| Item # | Denver Rio Grande & Western, Arched Roof Baggage-Express Car, Utility Roof Vents | Price | Sold Out |
| 206 | Car No. 745, Aspen Gold 4 Stripes paint scheme | $38.99 |
Originally built by ACF in 1929 for the Denver & Salt Lake as No. 600. It became DRG&W when it merged with D&SL on March 3, 1947. This car was often seen on DRG&W Prospector (Denver to Salt Lake - Ogden) and Royal Gorge (Grand Junction and Salt Lake) passenger trains.
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| Item # | Wabash Railroad, Arched Roof Baggage-Express car, Garland roof vents | Price | Status |
| 207 | Car No. 340 |
$38.99 | Sold Out |
| 208 | Car No. 347 | $38.99 | Sold Out |
Wabash used these cars on such trains as the Detroit- St. Louis Canon Ball, and Chicago-St. Louis Banner Blue. The star above the number signifies upgraded facilities for baggage & express crew.
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| Item # | New York Central Clerestory 70-ft Baggage-Express |
Price | Status |
| 209 | Car No. 8725, Peacemaker Green paint scheme | $38.99 | |
| 210 | Car No 8726, Peacemaker Green paint scheme | $38.99 | |
| 211TS | Car Nos. 9065 & 9071, Peacemaker Green paint scheme; 2-Car set |
$75.99 |
Rebuilt by Beech Grove Shops in 1940-42. Retired in 1968. These NYC cars were often interlined on western trains to the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal carrying express. NYC ran on the CB&Q to the Twin Cities.
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| Item # | Central of Georgia Clerestory 70-ft Baggage-Express |
Price | Status as noted below |
| 212 | Car No. 408, Pullman Green paint scheme |
$38.99 | |
| 213 | Car No. 411, Pullman Green paint scheme | $38.99 | |
| 214TS | Car Nos. 414, 417, Pullman Green paint scheme; 2 Car set |
$75.99 |
Built in 1914-1924; In 1907, E. H. Harriman gained control of C of G Railway then later sold it to the IC. Bought by Frisco in 1956, to the disapproval of the ICC. C of G sold in '61. In '63, Southern Railway gained controlled of C of G. According to Arnold Eaves of Central of Georgia Railway Historical Society, these cars were built by Pullman. Car No. 414 was lot number 4601 built in 1921. Car No. 417 was lot number 4791 built in 1924. Thanks Arnold for that bit of history.
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| Item # | Canadian National Arched Roof, Utility vents, Baggage Express |
Price | Status |
| 215 | Car No. 8814, Maple Leaf scheme | $38.99 | |
| 216 | Car No. 8822, Maple Leaf scheme | $38.99 | |
| 217TS | Car Nos. 8817, 8826, Maple Leaf scheme | $75.99 |
The Canadian National Railway ordered 15 baggage-express cars from National Steel Car. Numbered 8814-8828. Weighed in at 143,600 lbs. This "Maple Leaf" circular monogram and livery was applied to cars from 1954 to 1959.
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| Item # | Rock Island 70-ft Clerestory Baggage-Express Car |
Price | Status |
| 218 | Car No. 4000, Dark Olive paint scheme |
$38.99 | |
| 219 | Car No. 4013, Dark Olive paint scheme | $38.99 | |
| 220TS | Car Nos. 4021, 4028, Dark Olive paint scheme | $75.99 |
Chicago Rock Island & Pacific 70-ft Baggage-Express Cars were built in 1909 by ACF (Lot 54600).
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| Item # | Chicago & North Western Clerestory Baggage-Express |
Price | In Stock |
| Car No. 8757, Pullman Green paint scheme |
$38.99 | ||
| 222 | Car No. 8759, Pullman Green paint scheme | $38.99 |
C&NW Railway's baggage-express cars measured 74'-3" over buffers; built in 1927. Yes, North Western had a few 70-ft baggage cars among the many 60-ft ones.
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