Charcoal heaters would slowly fill the car with carbon monoxide, and cars so equipped were required to be placarded with warning placards. I'm not seeing thirty minutes... the placards I'm finding

The two types on Shapeways appear to be Preco heater and a Baxter heater. Below is an image of a Baxter heater. Two Preco heaters are shown in my earlier post. Bob Chaparro Railroad Citrus Industry

Joe, They did not burn kerosene, it was a 50/50 mix of methanol and isopropyl alcohol. I suspect you are referring to charcoal heaters in regard to the 30 minute wait period. Frankly, if I would have

I agree with Ben's identification as the fuzzy initials kind of look like "W &---" for W&LE. Bob Witt

These PRECO heaters burned methanol (alcohol). Rich Wilkens

In reviewing the other photos of this sequence, I think this was actually from a PM auto boxcar, the only other significant group of cars to use this type of end. Ray Breyer Elgin, IL

Eldon, C&NW called them trap cars and they were used to transfer LCL shipments from the downtown Chicago freight houses to the huge Proviso freight house where they could be consolidated with other

I and a friend, on his layout, model heater service using waybills (we call these "Action Bills") as well as ventilator service, but I do not specifically model the heaters themselves. Paul Catapano

Bob, Are you familiar with these machines? Tony's book says Roseville had Preco machines. Taken by my late father, Glenn Groff, slide dated 4/66. Yours

Johannes Markwart asked: "Anyone seen a box car end as on the car just behind the track gang before?: http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/271ef23120a8a912_large Vulcan corrugated metal ends, likely a

Yes. UP used a similar-appearing end on their class A-50-5 automobile box cars. On the A-50-5, these were end doors. Regards, -Jeff

The large white "X" denoted highly explosive ammunition was loaded or to be loaded in these cars, this also made it much easier for saboteurs and 5th columnists to hit the bulls eye with a rifle or

These cars were in captive service between several shippers and terminals in Chicago and the huge LCL freight house in Proviso yard Chuck Happel C&NW fan. Never argue with an idiot. They will only

Really interesting photos! Anyone seen a box car end as on the car just behind the track gang before?: http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/271ef23120a8a912_large Greetings Johannes Gesendet:

Nelson: I DO model heaters and heater service on my layout, thanks to some 3D printed (HO) Kerosene Preco heaters available through Shapeways.

Scrolling through the collection, here is a good photo of the narrow gauge material tramway at the Proviso RIP track, used to repair steam era freightcars. Tramway Dennis Storzek

Nelson:

Cool, another photographer at Proviso Yard during WW2 ! Thanks, Eldon. The big X marks trap cars in dedicated service between C&NW freighthouses. Jack Mullen

Thanks, Dennis!

IIRC they were cars that were restricted to shuttling between freight houses in the Chicago terminal. I imagine the big X was pretty effective at keeping them from escaping. Dennis Storzek