In the note below, Don Valentine seems to invite finer detail on the demise of B&M USRA DS boxcars in the late 1940s.  Having reviewed archival material at Lowell, Mass., one can get a closer look.  The following numbers come from log books with handwritten entries documenting disposition (and new adds) to the Boston & Maine's rolling stock assets (no locos). For each month listed, the numbers given are the reduction reported for the 70000-70499 series, the USRA cars.  In most cases the cars are being scrapped, sometimes off-road, often at Billerica, but many, along the way, being converted to 'service' purposes, sometimes remaining on their trucks and sometimes becoming the definitive "unretired" boxcar sitting on blocks.  In any case, the car ceased to be an interchanging, revenue earning freight car that month.

Now some points for clarity.  500 'replacement' PS-1 cars arrived totally in September and October of 1947 yet serious fallout of the USRA cars did not begin for another six months but then, fallout did seriously happen.  Back-summing from 1955 only 19 cars remained after the end of 1950.  Also, I would caution that there could be disagreement with the numbers reported in the ORER simply because the above numbers reflect near 'real time' in the accounting process and the ORER numbers probably are at least out of phase with the above.  Over a couple of months they should work out.

Also, the monthly records are only as good as the information the particular office (perhaps one employee?) received, so, precise accounting to the last car probably should not be expected.  Illustrating this is the car (BM 70423) that fell out in June of 1955.  This happened when it was noticed that "Boxcar unable to locate and no record of movement for five years.  Evidently destroyed and no report rendered."  No doubt this was discovered because starting in June of 1955 the Boston & Maine began a renumbering program that continued over the next 18 months affecting 1300 of the 71000-72999 notable XM-1 SS boxcars of 1929-1930.  The first block of 500 numbers to be issued?  The very same 70000-70499 used for the nearly gone (but barely gasping) USRA cars.

I hope this helps the interested understand the final days of Boston & Maine's USRA DS boxcars.  Given the timing of the arrival of the B&M Minute Man herald and the rapid demise of their USRA cars, it does seem that the Rapido B&M cars have limited applicability to those faithful to modeling TIME as well as DETAILS.  Perhaps Rapido will do future runs that predate the herald change.

Mike Schleigh in steamy wet Grove City, Penna.