This is a question brought over from the old Bulletin Board.

Am interested in modeling a CofG 50 ft. "watermelon boxcar", however I am also one of those crazies who even though my railroad is totally inaccurate, I try to have appropriate cars for the summer of 1983. Did any of the watermelon paint scheme cars make it that long and if so what numbers.

-- Ron Wright (rwright@crl.com), January 27, 1998

Answers

Concerning the inquiry about the 50' Blimp boxcars and when they disappeared, I checked my last three slides: CG 5953 stored in Savannah on 9-6-81, CG 5950 stored in Savannah on 6-9-81, and CG 5866 on inbound SR freight at Oakdale (near I-285) on 5-14-79. All three were still in the black & silver blimp scheme.

-- Tom Alderman (Topa12283@aol.com), March 29, 1999.

I WOULD HAVE SOME WHAT DISAGREE ON THE STANDING ANSWERS ON "WATERMELON CARS". OFFICALLY AS REFFERED BY CENTRAL'S TERM, ARE THE GROUP OF 36' AND 40' VENTALATED WOODEN BOX CARS BUILT BY THEM IN THE EARLY PART OF THIS CENTURY. THESE ARE IDENTIFIED BY HAVING BOTH A SOLID DOOR AND A SECOND STEEL BARRED DOOR. I HAVE A SET OF BLUE PRINTS ON THESE CARS AND IT USES THE "WATERMELON CAR" REFERANCE. THE OTHER REFERANCE TO THE PS1 50' BOXCARS I HAVE NOT HEARD REFERED TO AS "WATERMELON CARS" BUT ONLY AS FOOTBALL CARS IF YOUR INTERESTED THERE ARE SUSPOSE TO BE SOME OF THESE CARS IN EXSISTANCE SOMEWHERE OUT WEST AS RUMOR HAS IT.

-- KEVIN B. KLINE (KL7002@AOL.COM), June 07, 1998.

I should have mentioned in my earlier post that the Central painting diagram for these cars refer to the elliptical area as a blimp and gives specific instructions as to its dimensions. It is noted in a couple of places.

-- Ron Sebastian (dphobbies@earthlink.net), April 14, 1998.

Thanks for the responce.. I have also just recently heard these cars called the football paint scheme also...

-- Rob Danner (RLDRDG118@aol.com), April 11, 1998.

An addendum to the addendum and a correction about the Des Plaines Hobbies HO scale PS-1 boxcars with the silver watermelon or football on the side.

The artwork was prepared from an original Central drawing provided by Ed Mims and not Bob Branin's book. As much as I admire Bob(and I do have his book), Ed gave me the drawing and herald that fired me up. The cars were produced in twelve road numbers for us by Intermountain Rwy Co. I got so carried away and had so many done I shall never run out. I also got a little help from the SRHA. The color for the yellow came from a Bill Folsom (I believe)photo possibly taken in the early seventies. I remember seeing the cars in the late sixties in Troy or Enterprise, but when I went back to AL in the late seventies I never saw one again. Generally, it was not the Southern's custom to let revenue cars to too rusty.

If anyone's interested,I and the cars are at Des Plaines Hobbies, 1468 Lee Street, Des Plaines, IL 60018 Phone 847-297-2118

-- Ron Sebastian (dphobbies@earthlink.net), April 03, 1998.

An addendum to a previous answer...

Des Plaines Hobbies's e-mail address is . Bev-Bel also had the black and silver cars (based on the Athearn car). These are out of production, I think, but sharp eyes can find them in swap meets or even on the shelf at some shops. I picked up four about a year ago at a shop in Columbia, South Carolina. P.S. I have heard the black and silver cars also referred to as "blimp" cars.

-- Marc Burcham (mburcha@ibm.net), March 01, 1998.

Des Plaines Hobbies in Des PLaines, Illinois has those cars pre-painted and well done! He used the proper car (PS-1?) and painting out of the lettering diagram sold by the Riverdale Station. The address is listed in most hobby magazines. The owners are: Ron and Sue Sebastian. The phone is (847) 297-2118. I am not an agent, just an admirer of accurate freight cars!

Mark Vaughan

-- Mark Vaughan (mev@ntrs.com), February 02, 1998.

"Watermelon" is a term I have heard refering to the C of G paint scheme used on 50 foot boxcars which were black with the silver oval covering the side of the car. "looks like it has a watermelon painted on the car" (I don't know I didn't make it up!)

-- Rob Danner (RLDRDG118@AOL.COM), January 31, 1998.

I checked in my 1996 and 1972 Offical Guides and didn't find any mention of Watermelon box cars per se in the CG section. However, I was looking for "Watermelon" or "Produce" and it may be encoded using some AAR designation that I don't know.

-- Ron Wright (rcwright@bellsouth.net), January 27, 1998.