Mather was born in 1848 and developed and built his first stock cars by 1881. He received an award from the American Humane Society for certain humane features of his cars, which also reduced losses

Dave,          No heresy in mentioning the "Big Oval"; after all we SPF's love it every time we haul one of their cars! As Bill will say, there are many possibilities for FGEX / consortium

Mike, CDLX 318 was a three compartment AAR (not ICC) 203 built by AC&F in March, 1937; I have a builders photo of that car. CDLX 904 was a four compartment car, as were all the cars in the

From AMERICAN ENGINEER, CAR BUILDER AND RAILROAD JOURNAL., Volume LXXL, January 1897, page 37, "The Indianapolis Car Works are building 60 stock cars for the Mather Stock Car Company." I had no idea

Richard Hendrickson notes: While the following does not dispute Richard's comment about CDLX cars carrying asphalt, it is interesting to note that California Despatch Line tank cars did make it east

Bill, As soon as I saw your name, I opened up your outstanding TKM/SAL special edition on "The Companies" reefers. I see that the WFEX only had 47 steel reefers through 1948. Yet the 1943 ORER has an

Bruce Smith wrote: Thank you, Bruce. I'll have to get one and have a look. I've heard previously that such a part existed from Precision, but haven't ever seen one as far as I know. Is it like

Bruce, do you know the Precision part number for the valve casing? Tony Thompson Tony, The valve casing I have is Precision Scale 31005. That is listed in their catalog as a "tank car

No one has mentioned Ted Culotta'a Tank Car Reference Manual. It has a number of GATX tank car photos from the various phases of GA designs. And there is a nice article by Richard H in RMJ August

Brian, the print isn't dated, and there are no visible reweigh or repacking dates on the car, but there's a wood sheathed Santa Fe reefer in the background which had recently been repaired and

Richard, is there a date when Will took the photo? Brian Leppert Carson City, NV

I understand that Richard. I was responding to his thought that asphalt would not be shipped far, but wherever it is used, it has to be shipped from a refinery. CJ

True, but Western Asphalt was in Santa Maria, CA and Ned models somewhere in the wilderness east of the Mississippi, where there was no chance that a California Despatch Line tank car assigned to

Could be an insulated ICC 103. I think many insulated tank cars were 103's, not 104's. The ICC specifications require that 104's be insulated, but it does not say 103's must be non-insulated. In fact,

Bruce Smith wrote: Definitely an ICC 104. Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538;

And how is it that I end up owing Richard and Tony a beer, EVERY year? <G> Regards Bruce Bruce F. Smith Auburn, AL http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/bruce_f._smith2 "Some days you are the bug,

Ned, Just to be clear, I think the Overland car is not an ICC 105. Regards Bruce Bruce F. Smith Auburn, AL http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/bruce_f._smith2 "Some days you are the bug, some

Richard wrote: Bruce, you owe me and Tony a beer at Naperville. Richard Hendrickson   Please no fire alarm this year, that sucked!   Brian Carlson

<I would bid myself but I am not sure asphalt would travel across the country.> I think you will find that "asphalt" as applied to a road is locally manufactured and shipped by truck. Liquid

Joe, any inquiry about GATC tank cars opens up a huge can of worms. However, Tony is absolutely correct that the designation for wine cars, cotton oil cars, etc. was AAR 203, not ICC 203, since