Colourful Boxcars of the 1950's

One of my NH orange 40' boxcars is seen near the tail end of a CPR train which is nearly all boxcar red.

 There was some discussion last week on Marty McGuirk's SNE Ry. yahoo group regarding the many bright and colourful boxcars found on the New England lines during the 1950's. The range of the conversation was dates these cars first appeared in service to if one should even consider running them on a layout. It was thought that too much colour might distract from the vintage looks of strings of  boxcar-mineral red cars. Someone even mentioned a B&M minuteman blue boxcar behind a steam engine would look out of place. Well it probably would, but the B&M was all diesel by the time this scheme arrived. I do recall seeing one of these B&M boxcar in a WRJ yard photo during that era. The colourful boxcars of the 1950's were not anything new as colourful reefers had been running for sometime. In an earlier era billboard milk cars with big lettering lot of colour was also the norm.

After reading the posts I took a look through my pictures to see how I actually felt about my own group of colourful boxcars that do operate over the White River Division. I think they look right at home along with all my other rolling stock. What do you think...George Dutka

A Kadee model PS-1 B&M blue boxcar is trailing a new CV arrival in the late 1950's.

A NH black boxcar with an orange door and full size herald is seen next to an earlier era wooden caboose on a WRD B&M train.

An older B&M S-2 Alco handles a  Rutland Ry. modern era boxcar in this mid 1950's scene.

A string of colourful reefer are seen awaiting departure in White River Jct.