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Re: ATSF Bx-48 running board

charles slater
 

The Santa Fe Folio sheet for the Bx-48 does not list the type of running board used except it says it is steel. However on large orders for cars, 750 in the Bx-48 class, it is not unusual for Santa Fe to use several different types, just depends what was available at the time. Now in my photo collection I have photos of cars; 274199, 274312, 274625 and 274714 in original paint and lettering and all of them have Morton roof walks.
Charles Slater SFMM

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From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...>
Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2019 12:22 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>; Ed Hawkins <HAWK0621@...>
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] ATSF Bx-48 running board
 
Ed

Bx-48 ATSF 274714, at least, appears to have had a MORTON running board and brake step.

The photo date is 1977, but the car is almost certainly original.

Tim



On 12/22/2019 2:21 PM, Ed Hawkins wrote:

On Dec 17, 2019, at 6:24 PM, Lester Breuer <frograbbit602@...> wrote:
Hello Ed,

I have a question on ATSF Bx -48 on the running board.  In your spreadsheet on Steam Era Freight Cars you state the ATSF Bx-48 has U.S. Gypsum (expanded metal) and Pierre in his kit 105.1 states Apex Tri-Lok.  Do you know if Pierre’s choice is correct correct? 

I appreciate your comments.  Thank You.

Happy Holidays,
Lester Breuer

STMFC,
I have corresponded off-list with Lester about this question. For the STMFC discussion group I offer the following information.

For the ATSF Bx-48 box cars 274000-274749, my STMFC roster with file name "Postwar AAR 4-4 IDN & NSC (1945-1950s).pdf" that states G1 (U.S. Gypsum of the expanded metal design) is incorrect. My apology for the error, and I have made a correction to my list to denote M* for Morton running boards/brake step. The asterisk indicates the possibility than one or more other types may have been used on the order of 750 cars. 

 For anyone who has downloaded the file, please annotate your copy accordingly.

The ATSF box car diagrams denote many specialties but do not specify the running boards/brake steps for the Bx-48 cars. I also lack having ATSF or Pullman-Standard documentation for these lot 5832 cars that specifies the type(s) of running boards/brake steps applied to the entire series. For a long time, my only photo from the Bx-48 class was a side view of 274332. From this photo I originally identified the running boards/brake step as U.S. Gypsum, but a closer look shows Morton.

The only other Bx-48 photo I’ve seen is the Pullman-Standard builder photo of 274199 published on p. 345 of the 1949-1951 Car Builders’ Cyclopedia. The print quality makes it difficult to discern that the car had a Morton running board & brake step. Patrick C. Wider published the same photo obtained from the Library and Archives Canada on p. 207 of RP CYC Volume 31-32. 

If members of the STMFC have other photos of ATSF Bx-48 box cars with a clear view of the running boards/brake step, please share in order to help determine if Morton was the only type used.

Regards,
Ed Hawkins
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