In a message dated 1/14/2007 9:41:19 PM Eastern Standard Time,
b.hom@... writes:

The Lackawanna did the same thing to cars rebuilt from DS cars with
7/8 Murphy ends, inserting a blank panel between the corrugated
panels (c.f. Sirman collection photo of DL&W 11203 & 11259 at Paris,
Ontario, May 1948).



Yes, this is one of the DL&W rebuids. Lackawanna did a curious thing --
the wooden autoboxes were rebuilt into steel-sided house cars, and the wooden
house cars were rebuilt into steel-sided autocars. The wooden house cars
included many USRA DS boxcars, and some of the 7/8 ended 45000-series DS cars
represented by the F&C kit. The USRA Murphy ends on the autocars were stretched
as shown in the M&E photo. The 7/8 ended house cars were also stretched, some
with a rib or two. One of the Car Builder Cycs has a two-page article about
the DL&W rebuild program, complete with photos. Would sure like to come up
with that collection of pictures today. The DL&W did a lot of car recycling
to keep its massive Keyser Valley Shops busy during the depression. The
700-car USRA DS boxcars also became piggyback flats and hopper cars, steam tenders
became snowplows and cabooses, etc.

I went through what was left of the the Car Cyc files when I worked at
Simmons-Boardman, and very little remained, enough to fill a manilla fold about as
thick as your pinky. All of the rest and literally a ton of books were
peddled during a downsizing for an office move. I have purchased some items from
that collection at swap meets and seen a photo here and there in private
collections, but I hope the bulk of that collection turns up somewhere.

Mike Del Vecchio