Bob,

Thank you for posting this photo. For those interested, following is some history. 

MP 45396 originated as one of 250 (MP 79200-79499) 40-ton XA single-sheathed auto cars built ca. 5-29 by Mount Vernon Car Mfg. Co. job number 7243: 40’-6” inside length (listed on MP diagram as 40’-7 1/16”), 10’-2” inside height, 12’-1” side door openings, 3751 cu. ft. capacity, Youngstown Steel Doors with Union Duplex fixtures, Dreadnaught end doors at the “A” end, 3-section Dreadnaught “B” end, Std. Ry. Equipment Mfg. Co. radial roof, ARA spring-plank trucks.

In April-June 1941, 200 of 246 remaining cars were modified in a number of ways at MoPac’s DeSoto, Mo., car shops:

a. Removed the auxiliary doors & reconfigured as single-door cars with 6’ clear door openings.

b. Resheathed the nominal 6’ auxiliary door area & added a new diagonal brace resulting in asymmetrical Howe truss sides.

c. Replaced original vertical-staff hand brakes with Universal XL power hand brakes (if not before).

d. Upgraded with AB brakes (if not before).

e. “A” End doors sealed closed.

f. “A” end lining added, reducing to 40-3” inside length & 3724 cu. ft. capacity. 

g.  Renumbered MP 45251-45450. 

In 1942 an additional 31 cars received the same modifications, followed by 13 more in 1945-1946 to make a total of 244 modified cars in expanded series MP 45251-45494 as of Jan. 1947. However, two cars had been lost thru attrition such that the maximum quantity reported in the ORER was 242 cars. 

The 1/55 ORER reported 235 cars in revenue service. A steady decline of cars in revenue service began in the 2nd half of 1956 & continued thru 1960: 203 reported in 1/57, 114 in 1/58, 70 in 1/59, 28 in 1/60.

Two cars from the original series 79200-79499 remained in service from late 1946 thru 10/55. These final two cars were removed from revenue service between 10/55 & 6/56. 

The MP diagram for 45251-45494 makes no mention of the cars having the “A” end doors sealed closed, nor does ORER reporting. The diagram does denote a difference in the relative sizes of the “A” and “B” end sill channels, being the same as the original auto car diagram.

Regards,

Ed Hawkins