It looks more like a patch in the roof. Page 62 Al Smith Sonora CA On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, 10:23:28 AM PDT, gary

Todd: The plate is on the top of the roof curve and a trust plate would not need three large bolts in the center of it; he four at the corners would hold it. Trust plates need to be visible to

Photo: N&W Livestock Car 33000 (Undated) Photo from the Virginia Tech University Libraries https://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/image_viewer.php?q=NS2780 Click on photo to enlarge. Class SK Bob

Photo: Rock Island Hide Loading Boxcar 141137 (1956) A photo from the Gateway To Oklahoma History

Photo: Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Boxcar (Circa 1900) A photo from the Gateway To Oklahoma History website: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1473900/m1/1/?q=elevator Zoom in on the

Photo: Boxcars Near Downtown Oklahoma City (Undated) A photo from the Gateway To Oklahoma History website: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1589584/m1/1/?q=railroad Photo editing

If it was a Trust plate why would it have three large bolts in the middle? They may of course not be bolts but some cast relief detail, possibly the logo of a trust company.

Gary, Sounds like a trust plate. I think that most trust plates were cast metal early-on, and then RRs decided on a cheaper way to record the trust (loan) series for the cars by stenciling the trust

The current issue of Classic Trains, Summer 2022, on page 52 has an October 11, 1952 picture of a Western Maryland train with a PRR X31A in the lower center of the picture. There is a rectangular

Chuck, don't you mean Switcher? Shunter is a British term. All the better if we have a scarcity of locomotives, it gives us more time to look at the freight cars.

Ken Martin commented: “I did a little searching and on Helena History http://www.helenahistory.org/south_of_helena.htm I found the photo below. The caption with it says: "Mineral water from the

Steve, which ICC report had that data? Dave Nelson

You could always limit the use of the stock cars for watermelons to the month of May or June, then put them away until the next year. A lot of melons came out of Hempstead, TX and Luling, TX.

Interesting choice of words in their caption. I think of "marshaling yards" to be more British than North American, but I don't see a shunter is sight :-( I agree with Bob - a very interesting

Yes. GN60234 is a legit GN car number for 40' flats 60000-61605 built 1901-1908. Staffan Ehnbom

Jim said: ..."Since my layout represents the PNW in the post War years ... cars common in Florida are much less likely to show up than cars common in the PNW. This works - for me. Jim, We haven't

Oops! One to many "R's" there in the subject. -- John

Neat photo & story, Bob. The tank car kinda looks like a tank strapped to a GN flatcar, with a number change. Given that the water company operated in Great Falls, MT, it's not too far fetched to

Photo: Rock Island Yard (Circa 1908?) A photo from the Gateway To Oklahoma History website: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1587636/m1/1/?q=Rock%20Island Description: “Photograph

... additional thoughts ... When we model a scene - as opposed to a car - that scene on our layout tends to be permanent. Hence modeling a stock car with some watermelons inside it - that makes an