Friends,

These cars survived a long time, long enough for me to photograph one of the last in service in 1967. See my Album #7 on page 9 of our photo section for steel-sheathed B-50-15-A 114216. This car was one of a group of 175 still in service in October 1958. In Tony's book this car was listed among 210 renumbered from 31568-32615 in 1956. I don't know the specific purpose of the small sliding doors, beyond the obvious use for bulk cargo (my ORER is silent on this, and Tony's book says nothing about the doors either, but does note that some were used to carry bulk cement).

Another of these cars, still on its trucks, was used as a tool or materials shed just east of the Roseville diesel shops. IIRC, I finally got a photo of it before it was hauled away in the 1980s. When I finish scanning my father's slides, I will look for the picture among my negatives. If it turns up, I will add same to our album pages.

Neat cars, and anybody doing SP up to the 1960s should have at least one.

Garth Groff