MODELS OF YV RPO 107 HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE IN BRASS FROM SEVERAL BUILDERS over the years in both HO and O scale. It is now available also as a resin kit from Southern Car & Foundry. This kit is primarily aimed at Southern Pacific RR modelers but includes a couple of details specific to the YV and builds into an impressive model of YV 107.
The prototype car still exists today as part of the collection of the Pacific Locomotive Association in Fremont, CA. This webpage provides information in the form of a "walk-around" of the prototype in addition to building tips for the SC&F kit. The information can also aid in detailing one of the HO or O scale brass imported models.
This photo was taken by Bob Lunoe in 1942 and shows the "left side" of the car. RPO cars were operated with the postal section (with the small "person" door) toward the locomotive and the baggage end closest to the rest of the train. There was a partition with a door between the postal and baggage sections of the car; this door was locked all of the time the car was in operation. By having the baggage end of the car oriented toward the rear, a YV conductor could, if needed, access the baggage compartment during operation. Note the battery box on this side of the car. The forward end of this box was aligned with the forward edge of the window above it. This battery box was smaller than ones used on SP cars and this detail is included with the SC&F O scale kit.
Another view of the left side of the car. Note the horizontal "bars" on the first window behind the person door and the vertical bars on the other two windows.
The rear end of the car with its ratchet-style brake handle.
The right side of the car. Note that while the car retained the safety bar across the postal door, there was no mail hook while in operation on the YV.
The prototype in probably 1946 or so. The dull, weathered appearance of the car also shows up in B/W photos of the car while in operation.
Unique to the YV was the Baker Heater expansion tank mounted on the roof and the adjacent Baker Heater stack. This is a close-up of this tank. The tank has what might be pressure safety valves on the top of the tank and possibly filler valves attached to the front of the tanks. A smoke stack for the heater was located directly behind the tank. A casting replicating the Baker Heater expansion tank is included with the SC&F O scale kit but not the stack. I sell resins castings (from my masters) for this stack in both O scale and HO scale. I also sell HO castings for the expansion tank (from a SC&F master). See the Yosemite Models page.
This and the following views are of the car circa Summer 2009 on the Pacific Locomotive Association's Niles Canyon Railway. While the lettering is representative of the prototype, it is not entirely accurate (my O scale and HO scale decals are accurate for the car while it was in service on the YV). This is a wide-angle view of the right side of the car coupled to YV Observation 330 on the left.
A close-up of the rear of the car.
The baggage door and steps. Note that there is a roof vent located on the centerline of the car on this end of the car but not on the opposite postal end.
A head-on view of the baggage door.
The section forward of the baggage door. Note the air tanks under the car.
The Baker Heater expansion tank was located above this window. The smoke stack to the left of this window is not the stack used when the car was in service on the YV.
One of the windows on the right side of the car. The window frames were painted brown while on the YV. The YV cars were painted in a version of "Pullman Green" which was not as brown as the car these days.
Another view of the same window and the mail "person" door.
A close-up of the mail "person" door. Note that the car did not have mail hooks while in operation on the YV. The hook on this side of the car is also mounted "backwards" since the car was normally operated with the mail section forward.
A close-up of the ladder grab and regular grab iron on the B/baggage end of the roof. This view also shows the vent on the centerline of the car.
The A end of the car. To the left of the door is the retainer valve. Although missing on the car today, this end also had a regular diaphragm as did the opposite end. Note that the vent on the centerline of the car and the stove stack to the right were not in place when the car was operated on the YV. The horizontal grab irons halfway up the end of the car were also not there while the car was in operation on the YV.
The left side of the car today. I think that the smoke stack was added by the V&T after the Baker Heater was removed. While being used as a postal car, there was a mail drop just to the rear of the word "MAIL"...it has been covered over; it shows up on the B/W prototype photos.
A close-up of the left side of the forward end of the car.
The defect car holder. Note how the grab iron next to the baggage door curves up before turning down. This is typical of the side grab irons on the car.
The brake handle on the B end of the car which was also the baggage end of the car. The air pipe to the right of the brake handle was probably added when the car was used by the scrapper of the YV (and the V&T) while the car was used as an office car; it was not on the car while it was in service on the YV.
A close-up of the coupler and uncoupler lever.
Another view of the coupler. This view also shows how the brake hose was mounted.
A straight-on view of the trucks on the car.
A close-up of one of the truck safety chains.
Another view of one of the truck safety chains.
This photo provides a good view of one of the step mountings as well as another view of the uncoupler lever. Note that it is a bottom uncoupler lever.
Another view of another one of the steps. This photo also provides a good view of how the grab irons were curved.
Another view of one of the steps.
I've prepared a drawing of the underbody which can help identify the various brake parts in this and the following photos of the brake parts. Above is a close-up of the Dust Collector (reddish color), Triple Valve (behind it), and a portion of the Brake Cylinder on the right.
Another view of the same general area showing some of the piping.
A good view of the Brake Cylinder. Note how this side of the cylinder is mounted to a steel bracket bolted to the underframe. The other side of the brake cylinder bolted directly to the pair of I-beams which formed the center beam.
Looking slightly toward the B end of the car and the small Air Tank. The pair of lightly rusted pipes above the Small Air Tank were not on the car during service on the YV and were most likely added by A.D. Shader when the car was used as an office.
The Hand Brake Lever with the chain which connects it to the Slotted Crosshead. The opposite end of the Hand Brake connected to a rod connected to the hand brake. The piping with the pair of elbows is part of the office modifications by A.D. Shader.
A view of the same area from the opposite side of the car. The rod with the clevis attached to the Hand Brake Lever which connects to a chain which then connects to the hand brake.
Looking toward the Large Air Tank on the opposite side of the car with the Brake Lever Hangers in the foreground. The Brake Cylinder is barely visible beyond the hangers. The aluminum electrical conduit and electrical cord are from when the car was being used as an office by A.D. Shader Company.
Looking slightly toward the B end of the car from the previous photo. Both Brake Levers are visible in this photo. The rod to the hand brake is angling back over the truck and toward the rear corner.
This view shows the end of the hand brake rod. A hook connects it to a chain which passes around a horizontal pulley and then around a vertical pulley where is connects to the hand brake spool inside the rear wall. The chain hanging down is one of the truck safety chains.
A closer look at the Brake Lever closest to the B end of the car. Above the clevis is the Main Brake Pipe and the tee to the Brake Cylinder. This tee is not visible in the drawing of the underbody since it is obstructed by the Brake Lever.
Looking slightly toward the A end of the car from the previous photo. The nearest pipe is the rod connecting to the hand brake.
A good view of the Brake Hanger and Brake Lever and its connection to the Slack Adjuster. This view also shows how the Triple Valve is bolted to the bottom of the Brake Cylinder.
Looking up at the coupler.
The car is currently being used as storage for tools and materials needed for the restoration of YV Observation 330 which is coupled to the 107. This view looks toward the postal section from the baggage section. Note the roof vents in the ceiling.
This view looks forward in the postal section. The large hole above the window is where the stack for the Baker Heater was located.
SOUTHERN CAR & FOUNDRY RELEASED AN O SCALE RESIN KIT for a Harriman 40' RPO car in mid-2009 which can be assembled, painted, and lettered for the Yosemite Valley Railroad. Here are photos of a completed O scale model of YV 107 using this kit.
The right side of the car.
The left side of the car. I added a number of additional details to the basic kit including the valves on the Baker Heater expansion tanks, the unique smoke stake behind the tanks, uncoupler levers, truck safety chains, door safety bars, and window protection bars.
A close-up of the baggage door area and air reservoirs. Note the brown window sashes and fine rivet detail.
The rear end of the car.
The forward end of the car. Note that all of the grab irons, steps, hand brake, and door safety bar are painted black on the prototype.
A close-up of the Baker Heater expansion tank and smoke stack.
The truck safety chains. Since this is a display model (rather than an operating model), I replaced the wimpy truck springs with new springs formed from copper wire wound around a brass rod.
The SC&F kit includes all of the parts needed to completely detail the underbody.
Here is a close-up of the main brake components. The drawing of the underbody has the same orientation as the above close-up and can help identify the various brake parts.
Construction Tips
Roof Vents - (Note that the vent layout on my model is slightly off.) To layout the vents, first mark locations along the length of the car for each set of two vents. For the YV version of the car, begin by finding the center of the car which is also the center of a raised panel on the roof. As shown on the drawing below, then measure 4 scale feet toward each end of the car from this mark for the first pair of vents. Next, measure 6 scale feet toward the ends of the car from these marks for the last pair of vents. Finally, measure 6' toward the baggage end for the single vent on the centerline of the car.
Next, the marks along the centerline of the car for the pairs of vents need to be offset to the actual locations. This template can be used for that purpose by following the directions on the template. Note that this template also provides the centerline of the smoke stack next to the Baker Heater expansion tank. Mount the tank before drilling the hole for the stack.
Brakes - When installing the brake components, a couple of things need to be kept in mind. First, when gluing the slotted crosshead and the slack adjuster to the brake cylinder, make sure that the slots for the brake lever on the crosshead and the slot for the other brake lever on the slack adjuster are in line since the brake levers must be at the same level under the car. To make sure of this alignment, I first glued the slotted crosshead in place and then glued one of the brake levers in place in it and at the correct angle. The connecting rod between the two main brake levers was then glued in place, parallel to the centerline of the car. The long brake lever hanger was then glued in place. It is then easy to fit the brake cylinder in place.
Trucks - I used 4-wheel plastic passenger car trucks (Part #9119) from Precision Scale Company fitted with Proto48 36" wheel sets from Protocraft. Note that these PSC trucks have an 8'-4" wheelbase while the prototype used 8' wheelbase trucks. To make them work without interference will require that the small air tank be moved slightly toward the center of the car. (I had already completed the underbody and, rather than moving the air tank, I cut off the "ears" on the ends of the top beam of the trucks.) SC&F includes a replacement truck bolster to allow usage of the Proto48 axles.
Window Safety Bars - These bars can be replicated by printing this window bar layout onto overhead transparency film. I glued the windows in place with Micro Kristal Klear and, when dry, glued the film with the appropriate "bars" in place with the same bonder.
Door Safety Bars - I used .030" brass wire for making the safety bars across the "person" doors together with .040" OD brass tubing (drilled out to .030") and brass shim stock for the rest of the assemblies.
Truck Safety Chains - I used blackened chain (25 oval links per inch) from Clover House for these chains.
Painting - Like the other YV passenger cars, the 107 was painted a variety of Pullman green with a black roof and trucks; the underframe was also painted black. A good match for the Pullman green can be made from a mixture of equal parts of Scalecoat #45 GN Empire Builder Green and #17 Pullman Green. Since the steel RPO 107 faded quickly, it should be weathered/lightened by adding a little Scalecoat White.
The sequence for painting this model is complicated by the fact that certain parts must be painted black while others are Pullman Green. I first painted the body Pullman Green and then masked it and painted the roof black. The completed underbody was painted weathered black at the same time before installation. (I decided to used a pair of screws at each end of the car on each side of the couplers to bond the underframe to the body rather than gluing it in place.) I removed the mask on the window frames and painted them Floquil Roof Brown before removing the rest of the paper from these parts; they were installed before the underframe was screwed in place. The various steps were also painted black prior to installation and installed after everything else was painted and the underframe installed. Handrails and grab irons, etc. were hand brushed black after everything else was done. A light final weathering (Floquil Black down the roof to replicate soot and Floquil Earth along the bottom of the sides and on the trucks) was done once everything else was completed. Some pastel chalks finished things.
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