lettering for SP’s B-50-15 boxcars - a Rick Leach decal set

In 1925 the S.P. ordered 3,900 of Class B-50-15 boxcars from various builders as order CSF-321-A; received and distributed as follows:

 

S.P. Series 14480-15979, 1,500 cars, Standard Steel Car Co., delivered August-October 1925

S.P. Series 20000-20499, 500 cars, S.P. Equipment Shops, Sacramento, delivered January-June 1926

S.P. Series 31560-32659, 1,100 cars, Pullman-Standard, Lot P-363, delivered July-October 1926

ML&T Series 36210-36509, 300 cars, T&NO shops, delivered November-December 1925

ML&T Series 53060-53559, 500 cars, Standard Steel Car Co., delivered November-December 1925

 

The B-50-15 saw long service and were rebuilt at least twice - rst in 1935-1936 saw steel siding replace the wood siding and after WWII, AB brakes and

stengthening of the underframe was accomplished. One hundred cars were selected for the new Overnight Service and painted black and renumbered into

the 5800-5874 and 5900-5923 Series Note: In 1956, all B-50-15 boxcars listed above were renumbered into SP 111535 through 114280 series.

Note: See Tony Thompson’s excellent and very comprehensive Southern Pacic Freight Cars, Volume 4, pages 213-245, for a more complete understanding of these cars.

 

The B-50-16’s major dierence from the B-50-15 was the 6” extended kingpin to striker plate disance on a steel underframe and were assigned Series 37340-37716.

 

Paint & Lettering: Car body and trucks (wheels unpainted) all SP boxcar brown: TCP-922 for 1924-1937; and TCP-923 for cars painted 1940-1959. Both SP and

T&NO. Black underbody until 1945, then boxcar brown. Lettering white stencil paste with black medallion background with S P reporting marks until 1946.

 

Lettering created and designed at Protocraft Decals from artwork by Rick Leach