WELCOME TO THE

With the lack of Baggage, Express and Mail Service equipment in Rail Simulator, and lack of Pennsylvania Railroad equipment, Broadway Limited Locomotive Works quickly and quietly began evaluating what it would take to update some of our original models to Railworks Quality. With that, work began.

After some time, the decision was revised to convert the single B60b Package and P70 Packages, into two packages: a Package of Pennsylvania Railroad style head End equipment, and a Commuter Package. The Head-End Package when complete, will include three versions of B60b Baggage car (Prewar with original style doors, Postwar Era with Post 1945 Modernized details, and a Messenger Equipped version with necessary vents and facilities onboard), Three versions of the R50b Express Reefer ( As Built in Prewar livery, As Built in Postwar livery, and Modernized version in Postwar Livery), A 74' BM70m RPO with onboard Baggage section, and a M70 Railway Post Office. Equipment in this package was part of the Railway Express Agency and US Postal Service pool, and could be found operating at the head end of passenger trains, and in solid mail and express trains, anywhere in the country. 

Preliminary samples of this car are runnable in Rail Simulator, Although originally intended to be released as a single set, it became increasingly apparent that these sets might do better as a . It is in high hopes that these become milestones of the Keystone Legends® Series.

Special thanks goes out to Steve Thomas, Kurt Kaminer, and a few others who have helped out by supplying much needed photos and opinions. The finished products should be real gems worthy of running... 

Car as currently rendered in Amabilis 3D Canvas Pro

B60b Progress

A new record set at BLLW's Freight car department: Within less than a week, this model has made it into 3D Canvas, and is nearly complete texture wise. Reapplication of the artwork to apply the bump mapping began shortly after these screenshots were taken. 

Above Image: Exterior shots of the artwork (Test application only). Below: shot of the interior artwork. More studying is underway to check the authenticity of our current flooring. Other details are still undergoing application

Preview Shots of the Head End Pack Equipment as it stands (Note, the B60b and B60b Messenger variants are currently in exhaustive testing). The Prototype B60bs were built by the Pennsylvania Railroad's own shops. As part of the Railway Express Agency (Predecessor to today's UPS) pool, these cars could be found traveling to any part of the country, whether at the head end of a passenger train, or in a solid Mail and Express train, and lasted up to the creation of Amtrak in 1971, with some B60bs continuing on in maintenance of way service, at museums and tourist railroads. 

Prewar Livery (Pre-1945) B60b Non-Messenger with Early Style Doors

Postwar Era (Post 1945) Livery B60b Non-Messenger with Modernized Doors and

Postwar Era (Post 1945) Livery B60b Messenger with messenger Details

R50b Progress

R50b's were the Pennsy's answer to the need for it's own Express refrigerator cars. The prototype had collapsible Ice bunkers at both ends to allow the car to be used for handling either refrigerated goods, or non-refrigerated loads. 

Prewar Era (Pre 1945) Livery R50b Express reefer under construction.

End Shot to show the ongoing construction on the car ends and roof. The doors will be added last 

Close up of new Door hinges being tested.  

Closer to done. underframe details have been placed since this photo. The Doors are on only for adjustments 

BM70m Progress

Unlike Baggage cars and express reefers, Railway Post office cars were built by the railroads following strict US Postal Service codes. These cars functioned as a rolling post office catering to the routes they operated on. An onboard clerk sorted the mail and dropped it off at designated towns. Mail was also picked up at station stops or "on the fly" using a specially designed catching arm. These cars could be found at the head end of any passenger train and in solid mail and express trains, anywhere in the country. 

The first parts having been located in AutoCAD 2004. All BLLW Models start in this software for ease of modeling.

The same model in AutoCAD only Three Hours later. (A New BLLW Construction record!) Note the lack of trucks and underframe details at the moment. Extensive research is underway to find accurate placement of these details. The largest doors nearest the B end of the car are the entrance doors to the baggage section.

Artwork testing. here the sides and ends have been mapped and basic shadow effects added. 

Close up of the end details of the "belt rail" on the BM70m Railway Post Office car. All newer BLLW releases utilize 3D Shapes and artwork working

to create a nearly perfect replication of the prototype. 

Currently there is no timeline on this project. Page Last updated Tuesday, September 07, 2010 11:19 PM Eastern Standard Time