Jim,

PS-1 40’ box & auto car production during 1947-1948 totaled 16,965 cars, many of which are in Kadee’s plans to produce. By 1960 all but one railroad had experienced around a 1 to 3 percent attrition of these cars. This rate was not high enough to show evidence during the 1950s of sales to a second-hand owner. 

One exception may be the Boston & Maine for BM 74000-74499 built ca. 9-47. Through 1/57 these cars experienced “normal attrition” with 489 cars reported in the ORER. By 1/58 the quantity dropped to 447, an 8.6 percent drop in one year. In 1/60 the quantity continued steady at 446. It would seem unlikely that 42 cars just 10-11 years old would have been lost to normal attrition in 1957. My thoughts are that a second-hand sale was made or possibly some cars leased to another railroad and not counted by the B&M for their ORER reporting.

Keep in mind that BM received large orders of PS-1 box cars in 1956 & 1957: 1,000 - 50’ cars in 1956 & 539 - 40’ cars in 1957. These new cars may have something to do with the 42-car drop of the 1947-built PS-1 box cars that occurred in 1957. 

Perhaps someone on this discussion group may know the disposition of the 42 cars and if any were sold in 1957 to a new owner. 

Regards,

Ed Hawkins