More about Freight Conductors' Train Book, 1938
Wendye Ware
Hi Folks
Here is some more information about Ferguson's Freight Conductors' Train Book, May 13, 1938, to June 21, 1938.
Ferguson listed the railroad and car number for 1,938 cars in his Train Book (of a total of 2,826 cars on the trains he rode). For many of the listed cars he included the type of car and the contents. The converse is also true – for many of the cars he did NOT list the type or contents. However, for some of the cars, such as PFE and SFRD, we can infer the type from the road name. In addition, for a few of the cars I determined the type from the 1938 and 1940 ORERs. Here is the breakdown of car types for the 1,938 listed cars, divided into eastbound and westbound:
Type of car: EB, WB, Total
Reefers: 492, 276, 768
Box & Auto: 212, 159, 371
G/H/B: 124, 35, 159 (gons, hoppers, and ballast cars)
Stock: 58, 37, 95
Tank: 28, 37, 65
Flat: 14, 2, 16
Passenger: 3, 6, 9 (mostly dead headed)
Unknown: 454, 1, 455
Totals: 1385, 553, 1938
Reefers dominated the known car types, followed by box and auto cars. The reefers were mostly PFE, followed by SFRD. Here is a listing of the roads with five or more reefers:
Rairoad: EB, WB, Total
PFE: 408, 208, 616
SFRD: 44, 17, 61
REx: 0, 11, 11 (Railway Express?)
UP: 4, 6, 10
NADX: 7, 2, 9
ART: 2, 6, 8
FGE: 4, 3, 7
MDT: 4, 1, 5
Others: 19, 22, 41
Totals: 492, 276, 768
Box and auto cars were the second most common known car type. Their distribution by railroad (for roads with five or more cars) is as follows:
Railroad: EB, WB, Total
UP: 94, 76, 170
SP: 10, 21, 31
WP: 18, 5, 23
CB&Q: 9, 8, 17
PM: 14, 2, 16
MILW: 7, 4, 11
MP: 3, 6, 9
PRR: 6, 3, 9
CNW: 7, 1, 8
NYC: 4, 3, 7
GN: 1, 5, 6
MC: 5, 1, 6
RI: 4, 2, 6
Others: 31, 22, 53
Totals: 213, 159, 372
Here is a listing of the most common railroads for the unknown car types. Note that all but one of the car types for the westbound trains is known.
Railroad: EB, WB, Total
UP: 201, 1, 202
SP: 66, 0, 66
CB&Q: 31, 0, 31
PRR: 14, 0, 14
CNW: 11, 0, 11
MDT: 10, 0, 10
IC: 9, 0, 9
MILW: 8, 0, 8
NYC: 8, 0, 8
ATSF: 7, 0, 7
RI: 7, 0, 7
B&O: 6, 0, 6
SLSF: 5, 0, 5
SOUTHERN: 5, 0, 5
TNO: 5, 0, 5
Others: 60, 0, 60
Totals: 453, 1, 454
On the assumption that most of the cars of an unknown type are box or auto cars, here is a composite of the most frequently listed box, auto, and unknown car types, by railroad:
Railroad: EB, WB, Total
UP: 295, 77, 372
SP: 76, 21, 97
CB&Q: 40, 8, 48
WP: 20, 5, 25
PRR: 20, 3, 23
CNW: 18, 1, 19
MILW: 15, 4, 19
PM: 14, 2, 16
NYC: 12, 3, 15
RI: 11, 2, 13
IC: 10, 1, 11
MP: 5, 6, 11
MDT: 10, 0, 10
ATSF: 8, 1, 9
B&O: 8, 1, 9
GN: 3, 5, 8
MC: 7, 1, 8
SOO: 6, 1, 7
SOUTHERN: 6, 1, 7
TNO: 6, 1, 7
SLSF: 5, 1, 6
CGW: 5, 0, 5
NP: 3, 2, 5
Others: 63, 13, 76
Totals: 213, 159, 372
Of the 1,932 cars that Ferguson listed, there was only one from the N&W. It was car number 42111, eastbound to Salina on June 12, 1938, with a load of lumber. It was a boxcar. Sorry Mike. On the other hand, there are 127 more Train Books left to analyze . . .
Best wishes,
Larry Ostresh
Laramie, Wyoming
Here is some more information about Ferguson's Freight Conductors' Train Book, May 13, 1938, to June 21, 1938.
Ferguson listed the railroad and car number for 1,938 cars in his Train Book (of a total of 2,826 cars on the trains he rode). For many of the listed cars he included the type of car and the contents. The converse is also true – for many of the cars he did NOT list the type or contents. However, for some of the cars, such as PFE and SFRD, we can infer the type from the road name. In addition, for a few of the cars I determined the type from the 1938 and 1940 ORERs. Here is the breakdown of car types for the 1,938 listed cars, divided into eastbound and westbound:
Type of car: EB, WB, Total
Reefers: 492, 276, 768
Box & Auto: 212, 159, 371
G/H/B: 124, 35, 159 (gons, hoppers, and ballast cars)
Stock: 58, 37, 95
Tank: 28, 37, 65
Flat: 14, 2, 16
Passenger: 3, 6, 9 (mostly dead headed)
Unknown: 454, 1, 455
Totals: 1385, 553, 1938
Reefers dominated the known car types, followed by box and auto cars. The reefers were mostly PFE, followed by SFRD. Here is a listing of the roads with five or more reefers:
Rairoad: EB, WB, Total
PFE: 408, 208, 616
SFRD: 44, 17, 61
REx: 0, 11, 11 (Railway Express?)
UP: 4, 6, 10
NADX: 7, 2, 9
ART: 2, 6, 8
FGE: 4, 3, 7
MDT: 4, 1, 5
Others: 19, 22, 41
Totals: 492, 276, 768
Box and auto cars were the second most common known car type. Their distribution by railroad (for roads with five or more cars) is as follows:
Railroad: EB, WB, Total
UP: 94, 76, 170
SP: 10, 21, 31
WP: 18, 5, 23
CB&Q: 9, 8, 17
PM: 14, 2, 16
MILW: 7, 4, 11
MP: 3, 6, 9
PRR: 6, 3, 9
CNW: 7, 1, 8
NYC: 4, 3, 7
GN: 1, 5, 6
MC: 5, 1, 6
RI: 4, 2, 6
Others: 31, 22, 53
Totals: 213, 159, 372
Here is a listing of the most common railroads for the unknown car types. Note that all but one of the car types for the westbound trains is known.
Railroad: EB, WB, Total
UP: 201, 1, 202
SP: 66, 0, 66
CB&Q: 31, 0, 31
PRR: 14, 0, 14
CNW: 11, 0, 11
MDT: 10, 0, 10
IC: 9, 0, 9
MILW: 8, 0, 8
NYC: 8, 0, 8
ATSF: 7, 0, 7
RI: 7, 0, 7
B&O: 6, 0, 6
SLSF: 5, 0, 5
SOUTHERN: 5, 0, 5
TNO: 5, 0, 5
Others: 60, 0, 60
Totals: 453, 1, 454
On the assumption that most of the cars of an unknown type are box or auto cars, here is a composite of the most frequently listed box, auto, and unknown car types, by railroad:
Railroad: EB, WB, Total
UP: 295, 77, 372
SP: 76, 21, 97
CB&Q: 40, 8, 48
WP: 20, 5, 25
PRR: 20, 3, 23
CNW: 18, 1, 19
MILW: 15, 4, 19
PM: 14, 2, 16
NYC: 12, 3, 15
RI: 11, 2, 13
IC: 10, 1, 11
MP: 5, 6, 11
MDT: 10, 0, 10
ATSF: 8, 1, 9
B&O: 8, 1, 9
GN: 3, 5, 8
MC: 7, 1, 8
SOO: 6, 1, 7
SOUTHERN: 6, 1, 7
TNO: 6, 1, 7
SLSF: 5, 1, 6
CGW: 5, 0, 5
NP: 3, 2, 5
Others: 63, 13, 76
Totals: 213, 159, 372
Of the 1,932 cars that Ferguson listed, there was only one from the N&W. It was car number 42111, eastbound to Salina on June 12, 1938, with a load of lumber. It was a boxcar. Sorry Mike. On the other hand, there are 127 more Train Books left to analyze . . .
Best wishes,
Larry Ostresh
Laramie, Wyoming