On Jan 24, 2009, at 12:09 PM, Rob Kirkham wrote:

The best shot of the ends in question is on auction 260351141923....

Which shows it to have been on a Pere Marquette car in the
54000-54299, 54500-54599, or 55300-55399 series; see Million and
Paton, Pere Marquette Revenue Freight Cars, Hundman Publishing, 2001.

l expect both PM cars are too early and too unlikely for my 1946
west coast
modelling, but interesting nonetheless.

Not at all. The auto cars referenced above were converted to single
door box cars 1937-'43 and renumbered into the 85000-85999 series, in
which form (with either wood or corrugated steel doors and Apex tri-
lok running boards) they continued in revenue service through the
1950s. As for the single sheathed cars with Hutchins ends, they also
remained in service through the 1940s and 1950s, some converted to
single door cars, into the 1950s, and many were renumbered into the
C&O roster after 1947, when the C&O acquired the PM. I have 1940s-
vintage photos of both types, some of which are in Focus on Freight
Cars Vols. 1 & 2 (Ted Culotta assures me that Vol. 2 will go to the
printers very soon - right, Ted?). Also, Ted C. aka Speedwitch Media
recently issued a nice resin kit for the PM 88000-88349 series single
sheathed auto box cars with Hutchins ends.


Richard Hendrickson