Elden, that is DEFINITELY a well-hole flat.  You can see in the panel where the LD LMT is shown that the bottom of the “pipe fitting” is below the deck.  And all that bracing, the timbers and the tie rods, are clearly temporary.

Schuyler

Dennis Storzek:

In the late 1980s we had a new customer on the Illinois Division that wanted rail access.  So, they lined up an approved contractor to build the track up to the property line and we , the Santa Fe, built and installed the turnout and connecting track.  After the industry track was completed, it was inspected by one of my employes and put into service.  Shortly thereafter, the Local crew drew me aside complaining that the wheels were really squealing going around one of the curves in the plant.  I went out and string lined the curve.  Turns out that the track curve was about 27-28 degrees (or between a 200-212 ft. radius). The Santa Fe limited the degree of curve for new track to 12 degrees (479 ft. radius) at that time. The local was using 4-wheel trucks under the locomotives for switching; luckily, they never went on the ground.  I contacted the contractor and informed them that they would have to realign the trackage, which was buried for the unloading of lumber flats. 

Larry Buell

John,

It seems that an empty tender would be pretty light for a snow plow so did they fill the cistern and coal (or oil) bunker with sand or some other heavy material.

As a side note, according to the Monon equipment diagrams, their scale test car had concrete blocks in it to adjust the weight.

Mont

Montford L. Switzer

President

Switzer Tank Lines, Inc.

Fall Creek Leasing, LLC.

mswitzer@...

(765) 836-2914

Bob, all;

These GN cars are very interesting.  I know next to nothing about them, except what I can glean from photos.  I believe it is a well flat, not a well HOLE flat, since it does not look like the floor supports are removable.  I have wondered what GN needed these cars for, since it is usually an on-line customer that needed them.  These shipments were just lucrative enough that RRs could be convinced the roster them, otherwise….not.

The side members are surprisingly slender for a more typical well flat, which generally had deep side sills, but there is that u/f, which indicates the well is not that deep….

Elden Gatwood