B&O rebuilt a number of tis USRA Class M-24 boxcars into cement haulers in the 1930's. They were used in a number of on-line improvements such as grade crossing elimination work, construction of

IIRC, the “D” indicated double deck. Other cars had a “T” to indicate triple deck, as in this example. Single deck cars had no letter suffix. Thanks! -- Brian Ehni From:

D = Double-Deck Bob Chaparro Hemet, CA

Google Earth still shows it. Street view, also Thanks! -- Brian Ehni From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of William Hirt <whirt@...> Reply-To: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> Date:

At least until a year or two ago, there was one in Brookfield MO (old CB&Q Division Point) near the ready mix plant there. Bill HIrt

I have always been curious why UP added the letter "D" to the reporting mark number. Plz explain. TIA. Lou Adler

In St Joseph Mi there is a large cement storage building. Cement is brought in by ship via Lake Michigan. Before 1970 also by rail. The rail siding is long gone. Large trucks take it to the batch

======================================== Ken -- ATHEARN model - All the ones marked "*" have far better HO models now Rotary Snowplow

Thanks all for your prompt responses! Not being a "Q" fan I was unaware of the bomber boxes. This is a very interesting story. Thank you for enlightening me! -- Chris Barkan Champaign, IL

They both appear to be on the grouns, i.e. not on trucks. So just being used for storage. Is those grain elevators behind it in photo on right side? Andy Jackson

I saw that Q car years ago (around 1991) while visiting "Red" Vilryl Davis, a great RR freight car photographer who was a great sharing person. I believe his job was as a radio D.J. Sad news hearing

It's rumored there is a CBQ Bomber box with the roof extension being used as storage around Scottsbluff Nebraska. I haven't been able to find it yet though Scott McDonald

All- The “car” in question is not a car at all.....it is a CB&Q “bomber box” which was a housing applied to Q flatcars to carry B-29 fuselage sections to final assembly. There are drawings and

Steve, Thank you. I added your roof description to my list. Ken Montero

The Athearn car is a representative of a UP prototype. Major issues are that the diagonal pattern roof has the diagonal the wrong way and the underbody is, well, Athearn. UP tried to keep the yellow

Just a quick comment … the cylindrical cement containers pictured are now available for HO modelers in 3D-Printed form from Bowser. Many years back Athearn also offered them in a cruder

Chris I believe that car is a former CBQ boxcar modified for shipping airplane parts. Doug Harding www.iowacentralrr.org

I just checked my Burlington Bulletins and found the story of these shrouds (applied to CB&Q FM-14 flat cars) as well as plans in BB #15. Richard Townsend Lincoln City, OR

well your photos don't have the side door, matter of a fact, looks like it lost its exterior sheeting, and the curvature of the roof, appears different? ;-) mel perry

I believe that is one of the shrouds that the CB&Q put on flat cars during WWII for transport of bomber fuselage assemblies. Richard Townsend Lincoln City, OR