The cars I have are all the pre-war PS pattern, that is, the upper letterboard is half smooth, half-corrugated. I have never seen, let alone owned , any smooth-side cars. The only possible exception is several cars that are smooth except for a horizontal rail above and below the windows; I understand those are aluminum extrusions by Sylvania, whomever they were. Midgage is known for the long extrusions that I understand were actually made by AF to match AF cars.
I remember getting 3 cars in 1957 or 58, then trading them to Doc Johnson in St. Louis for 2 AF coaches and a Midgage express reefer at the St.Louis MCoR convention. By their 1962 convention, I was set in my all-scale ways; in 1968 I acquired all 3 Chester cars back plus about a dozen or so more, but never really put them in service--no trucks at the time. I doubt I have all the different sides that Chester offered. I acquired a shortened RPO from Dick Karnes in those days, and it is on the layout as a straight RPO. More recently, he has done an observation car from Chester sides, etc; I remember that a local railcar repair shop in the '90s had one of the L&N head end cars, full-length, 3 doors; by then it was a monster pigeon sanctuary. AFAIK, there is a Chester match for that car. Maybe we could go back through the Model Railroader mags of the '50s and find the ads I looked at then. Also, has anyone compared the Chester side offerings to what Union Station Products offers for. Southern, L&N, etc., Jamie, Earl; Thank you very much for your very informative responses already. Dave Engle
