Although I don't have internal company memos, I'll bet there was

an internal argument made that 10'6" box cars would just confuse
shippers, add to spare parts inventory (and thereby increase the
cost of maintenance) ,
Tim O'Connor
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I don't think it has anything to do with the spare parts inventory. They don't have spares for sides and ends, which are the parts which will have different dimensions for a higher car. Ladders are longer but you won't find many laddrs in spare parts inventories. Trucks, draft gear, grab irons, brake system components, etc. are the same.

Nor confusing shippers. There were many different dimensions of cars available to any shippers, and if you were in a business that shipped by railroad in the 50's, another car size wouldn't have made a difference. Bascially you paid attention to the small number of suitable types and ignored the hundreds of others.

What probably counted more was that different railroads made different calculations about the economics of different car types based on commodities handled, their share of revenue and other factors.


Malcolm Laughlin, Editor 617-489-4383
New England Rail Shipper Directories
19 Holden Road, Belmont, MA 02478