Hi Eric,

There were two series of horizontal rib cars. The first was built with channels for the horizontal
ribs. That proved to be problematic, as the channels trapped water, and that combined with the
acidic effects of coal dust meant that there were rust problems pretty quickly. The second series
were built, as you have noticed, with zees, with the car-side flange upward, and the outboard side
hanging downward. While both series were lettered ERIE sooner or later, I believe initially the
channel side cars were lettered for Susquehanna, ERIE's captive subsidiary which then ran to
Scranton and anthracite territory, and the zee-braced cars were lettered ERIE. But I caution you
that I may have that backwards (off the top of the head, here). I am also not sure when the
Susquehanna-lettered cars were repainted into ERIE paint.

I will try to get definitive information later tonight.

Interesting website you've got there, BTW.

SGL

I'm working on an HO scale F&C resin kit for an Erie horizontal rib hopper car. The builders image

shows horizontal

members of pressed steel shapes, while in-service images from the 1930s and 1940s show the

horizontal members to be

z-section steel shapes. I assume this change occurred with the cars were rebuilt. Is this a

correct assumption? If so, what

year did the rebuildings begin?

I am modeling late 1926 and am at a point in the kit construction where some simple carving off of

detail can make the

model a better match for the earlier pressed steel shape construction members.

Eric

Eric Hansmann
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Starting over in a new house:
http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/ <http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/>








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