lettering set for GN’s 1944 plywood-side boxcars - 1944 orange car with black and olive paint scheme

In June 1944, GN’s St. Cloud shops built 1,000, 10-’0” IH boxcars with plywood sides and doors as part of the War Board’s restriction of materials. Delivery and

Series assignment as follows:
 

Series 2500-2524 (44000-44024), 25 cars - St. Cloud, assigned as passenger express cars equiped with steam lines - YSD

Series 44025-44399, 374 cars - St. Cloud, equipped with Camel composite plywood doors

Series 44400-44999, 600 cars - St. Cloud, equipped with Superior composite plywood doors
 

Paint & Lettering: When new, car sides and doors were painted Omaha Orange; roof, ends and underframe and top corner external brackets, all black. The side

trim (including ladders, grabs, door tracks and back stop, placard boards, downward face of the side plate, the side ange of the ends, and the side sill below

the plywood sheathing, painted Pullman olive green. Lettering and side facing goat were all Pullman green as well.
 

Brass model by Protocraft available early Spring 2015 PC- 3505
 

Note: In 1948, the cars of this series were repainted GN standard mineral red, including trucks and underframe. Doors were replaced with Youngstown steel

doors and lettering was all white stencil paste with a side facing white goat on a black background. See Protocraft Decals set GN-5. (Source: Ed Hawkins/Pat

Wider’s RP CYC Vol 19)