lettering for NKP’s 1937 AAR boxcars - 1946 scheme

The NKP received 2,700, 1937 AAR design box cars between August, 1936 and August, 1944., in order as follows:
 

Series 15000-15499 - 500 cars, General American Transportation Corp. Lot 2752 - Delivered August, 1936. Viking roof *

Series 15500-15999 - 500 cars, General American Transportation Corp. Lot 2779 - Delivered September, 1937, Viking roof *

Series 16000-16499 - 500 cars, American Car & Foundry. Lot 2272 - Delivered August, 1941, Murphy Raised panel roof **

Series 16500-17399 - 900 cars, General American Transportation Corp. Lot 22880 - Delivered March, 1942 **

Series 17400-17699 - 300 cars, General American Transportation Corp. Lot 2938 - Delivered July, 1944 **
 

Paint & Lettering: Car painted 1940’s NKP color - used from 1944 through 1959: matches TCP-923. Be sure and blend in some TCP-179 grey to replicate normal

oxidation that would occur within the rst year or service, and progressly lighter each year. The later-delivered cars came with black ends. Underbody and truck

side frames were coated with black car cement; wheels unpainted. Lettering was all white stencil paste.
 

Reporting Marks and Road numbers were all 9” high. The as-delivered scheme came with the ‘simple’ “ROAD” lettering. In 1941 “ROAD” was heightened with

the curved leg in the R and the lettering intials NYC&StL were dropped above the reporting marks (see NKP-3b for this lettering scheme; and in 1946 the longer

legged R was applied. Both cars depicted here have been repainted and relettered in 1955 and 1956 at NKP’s Frankfort, KY shops.
 

Lettering set designed and created at Protocraft Decals.
 

* Accurate brass model of the NKP 15000-15999 Series by Protocraft is PC-3512; ** Model of NKP 16000-17699 Series is Protocraft PC-3518