Rob Kirkham wrote:

But I wonder if that is really accurate? For example, would the similar cars used on other railways that used Z bracing (rather than the pressed steel shapes on the USRA and CP cars) be considered better or poorer - or was the difference inconsequential from the point of view of boxcar design evolution?

I don't know the answer to your question, Rob, but SP and several other railroads which had received USRA single-sheathed cars did not duplicate them in subsequent years but went back to Z bars. At the least, they were unimpressed with the hat-section bracing.

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