Hi Everyone
Here is a summary of a Union Pacific Freight Conductors' Train Book recorded by a U.P. conductor named Fitz from September 16, 1938 to October 24, 1938. During this time period Conductor Fitz rode 36 trains on the U.P. mainline between Laramie and Rawlins, Wyoming. Fitz's Train Book overlaps that of Fraley in time and place and helps to flesh out our information about that setting (see previous posts for summaries of Fraley's Train Book).
The 36 trains were evenly split between east- and west-bound. In aggregate there were 2,362 cars, an average of 66 cars per train. Motive power was supplied by 3900 series 4-6-6-4s and 9000 series 4-12-2s. The average train weighed 2,704 tons.
The total number of eastbound cars was about the same as those heading west: 1,170 EB vs. 1,192 WB. However, there was a big difference in the load/empty ratios: EB cars had 1,086 loads and 84 empties, while WB cars had 452 loads and 740 empties.
Eight WB trains were empty, or nearly so: They had a total of ten loads and 655 empties. The longest train of the entire 36 was among this group of eight – it had one load and 95 empties. Fitz's record of this trip includes the note "Hot Box".
The distribution of the cars, by ownership, is:
Road and number of cars
PFE 908
UP 650
MDT 86
SP 64
MILW 46
CNW 37
GTW 32
PRR 31
CB&Q 30
NYC 29
UCR 25
SLSF 20
IC 19
WP 18
ATSF 17
DT&I 16
NWX 15
RI 13
T&P 13
MP 12
GATX 10
MC 10
NP 10
UTLX 10
ART 9
PM 9
T&NO 9
SFRD 8
URT 8
B&O 7
ATLX 6
KCS 6
NADX 6
NKP 6
CDLX 5
CMO 5
D&RGW 5
ERIE 5
SOUTHERN 5
Others 142
Total 2,362
Conductor Fitz recorded the car type for all but 58 cars. The distribution of car types, EB, WB, and total, is:
Type: EB, WB, Total
R: 539, 532, 1071 (Reefers)
B: 215, 254, 469 (Box)
A: 122, 151, 273 (Auto)
C: 120, 94, 214 (Primarily gons, hoppers, and ballast)
D: 31, 40, 71 (Double deck stock)
(blank): 51, 7, 58 (Not listed)
T: 25, 30, 55 (Tank)
S: 25, 29, 54 (Stock)
F: 4, 15, 19 (Flat)
?: 11, 6, 17 (Illegible)
C or G: 16, 0, 16
G: 0, 11, 11 (Gon)
Others: 11, 23, 34
Total: 1170, 1192, 2362
The "C" type is somewhat of a grab bag and includes a few tank cars, box or auto cars, and even a PFE reefer.
Ownership of the 1,071 reefers is dominated by PFE (905), followed by MDT (86).
Ownership of the 742 box and auto cars is distributed as follows:
Road and number of box and auto cars
UP 313
SP 62
GTW 32
CB&Q 30
MILW 28
NYC 23
PRR 22
WP 18
CNW 16
DT&I 16
IC 14
RI 13
MP 12
ATSF 10
MC 10
T&P 10
NP 9
PM 9
T&NO 9
SLSF 6
B&O 5
ERIE 5
NKP 5
Others 65
Grand Total 742
Best wishes,
Larry Ostresh
Laramie, Wyoming
