Re: RPO 053 *LINK* *PIC*

John:
Here is another thought on the passenger trucks and RPO restoration. I understand that the Friends are restoring 053 as a cook car (for Rotary OY) this summer. Now with a little creative carpentry during the restoration what if the baggage door infill was made to be removable? It looks like the D&RGW used the top (window half) of the existing door and filled the bottom half flush with the car siding (see Otto Perry's view in Durango below). What if this car could be rebuilt to also allow the door to be replaced so that it could also be representative of it’s circa 1929 Baggage/RPO configuration? Now here is where it gets "sticky", if it were to be finished in the Tuscan Red/ Maroon then it would be more of the sleeper MOW configuration but only then would need a lettering change and the removable door/ step to revert to "varnish" service. Then with the addition of a couple of open platform coaches a very authentic circa 1920’s train set could be available for the likes of #315, 463, 169 and I dare say RGS #20. It could very "realistically" happen and with a little extra effort now pay dividends down the road. My 2 1/2 cents for the day.
Rod