Brian,

I have never been quite sure of the time frame when the cars received
steel sides.

The Dec. 1965 N&W diagram sheet for the cars states, "Heavy repairs
with wood slope sheets and sides being replaced with steel in 1956".

The July 1957 Wabash equipment book shows the cars still having wood
sides and slope sheets.

The July 1958 ORER shows the cars being composite type.

I also have a large ledger book showing purchases, retirements, and
conversion of Wabash equipment from Jan. 1945 through Dec. 1960 and
no mention is made of a program to change the sides from wood to
steel. Wish I knew for sure. I aldso have no need for the steel
sided cars either. Wish P2K had used the wood side car for the
Wabash cars.

Chet French
Dixon, IL







-- In STMFC@..., "Brian J Carlson" <brian@...> wrote:

I recently acquired a Wabash steel-sided WW2 War emergency hopper.

I was

surprised the car has a NEW date of 5-59. Apparently the Wabash

considered

them new cars for accounting purposes when they were resided. I

thought

this practice was no longer allowed after the early 1950's. When

did the

Wabash start to replace the sides with steel plate? According to

the Model

RR magazine index website, Ed Hawkins did a two part article in the

December

2000, and April 2001 issues of RMJ. Did either of these articles

discuss the

Wabash cars rebuilt with steel sides? My main quandary is I model

August

1957, can the model be renumbered to fit within my era. Thanks for

any help?

Brian J Carlson P.E.
Cheektowaga NY