Smokey Bear Boxcars

I've been going through my rolling stock to see if there are any candidates for re-painting. I picked up a MTL Smoky Bear boxcar in a job lot. Did these actually exist or is it another one of MTL's charming but not really as useful as it could be products.

Which one do you have? 40' or one of the 50' versions? There are several 50' versions that seem somewhat common, but the 40' version is a bit harder to find.

Okay... I still haven't answered your question.

I'm not finding the SBX reporting mark any place, so I'll guess it's... "another one of MTL's charming, but not really as useful as it could be products".

MTL Series:
6 box cars 1 thru 6 507 00 310 thru 360
GP35 981 01 520
caboose 536 00 260
The series ended middle of 2006

MTL also produced an N series with an F7

www.micro-trains.com/special_edition_SmokeyZ.php

The Smokey Bear cars & locos were a special edition. Must not have been a good seller, since you can still get them. It's too bad MTL didn't have some Forest Service cars, trucks, logging equipment to go with them.

I'm not so sure these and the other cars, state, military, etc. weren't good sellers. I bought the premiere offering of the Circus set just to have it. I don't think it ever reached my layout. Since Joe would never tell us and Loren probably can't share this kind of info even if he knew it, I guess we will never know what the sales were. One thing for certain is MTL seems to keep producing this stuff. I bought my one piece. Who bought the rest? Jim

Jim-- I got all 6 of the Smokey Bear Box Cars. I liked the posters and they make for a pretty train. Then I got N scale bears and glued one to each car, climbing a ladder, on the roof, or like a hobo, riding inside-- to accentuate the bear theme. Z scale bears were too small to notice and these are just big z scale bears! However I would not get the locomotive or caboose.
As my layout will feature special buildings from all 50 states, and the four seasons,
I'm also working on getting a complete set (52--50 states,DC,and caboose) of the State series. Again these are Pretty cars and though not proto typical--are very nice. I like the designs and the history. And they are the closest yet to the billboard reefers. I will not get the locomotive! I think MTL dropped the ball- big time - on this one. And I told em so!! IMHO MTL should have gone with the SANTA FE Bicentenial. Agreed- not proto typical for GP's available, but close enough for many of us to be happy with--and again a very pretty design. Those engines might have sold well even without the state cars. Maybe with future releases this livery will find it's way onto the tracks.
I would not think of getting the Birthday set but I know a very well respected Zer who designs his own cars in great detail has a full set.
We all approach model railroading from different viewpoints. And all are correct for OUR Rail Road. I would not model the slums that so frequently cluster along a city rail line. Though accurate, it's sort of depressing. I prefer to model unique and interesting scenes that are uplifting and seldom found in the hobby.

Fred, I have a fellow that lives 4 miles from me and he owns every 'special' MTL N scale offering. He lives in a small apartment and has a small diorama. He lines up his cars and takes photos and puts them on the walls. That's it, no layout, never will have one, but he owns every 'special' car. He probably has about five normal cars. So you're right, different strokes for different folks. I'm happy with my first Circus car and still have it. Jim