Schuyler Larrabee wrote: From the curved loading tracks I didn't think it was an NYC yard, but it surprises me to see several NYC Pacemaker boxcars on the Lackawanna. And yes, my western-trained eyes

Building an HO model of D&RGW 67771, a 1946 Pressed Steel Car 40' XM, starting with a C&BT Shops 12- panel kit I've had in the heap since the kit was introduced. The Rio Grande liked Duryea cushioned

Recently we talked about the NYC's early cement hopper converted from a USRA twin hopper. http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-880040.jpg I looked at the pic and thought that looks like the o

Eastern Car Works makes a kit they call an "Enterprise 2-bay covered hopper". Two versions, an NYC and CN. 6-panel sides with heavy dagonals in the first and sixth panels, and eight square roof hatche

My question remains, when was the 11-panel 41'6" gondola as modeled by Accurail, and earlier by Tyco, introduced? Structurally this was a modern design, similar to the 1932 ARA boxcar, so I doubt the

I'm not sure I've ever seen a Pullman ad or document saying exactly when each of the "PS-#" car types were introduced _by that name_. I've always thought of the PS-# family as being all welded carbodi

Tim O' wrote: No, this one is a normal height gondola. As a former Southern railroader, trust me, I know what to do with a low-side gon! But I've never seen this metal MDC low-side gon you have. The c

Looking through some of my Color Guides, etc, trying to tind prototypes for various models, I was surprised to find that into the 1950s the C&NW was buying what I thought was an obsolete design, the t

If memory serves, a horizontal white line on the main door of a boxcar meant it had auto loading racks inside. And there are other markings refering to load restraining devices. What I can't remember

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-238717.jpg What surprised me most here are the T-section Bettendorfs under such a car, which I assume was built with archbars. Replacing the trucks was a

Thanks guys. It hadn't occured to me to look at heavy duty flats. The USAX/DOD 38016-series is definitely the prototype for the car. Pemco molded the bolster outward where it would be on a normal 4-ax

I guess it shouldn't surprise me to see a 1923 built date on that rebuilt NYC USRA cement hopper that Ben Hom posted a link to. Just how late were "USRA" twin hoppers built? Speaking of which, when we

Pemco made a 53-foot flatcar with riveted fishbelly sides and 16 stake pockets. The thin portion of the sides above the trucks extends a bit further inboard than most designs. Does this car have a pro

Was the first use of the large NYC logo/herald on the green & black scheme in 1959, or were some red-brown boxcars painted that way first? I know the "Century" style reporting marks were adopted in 19

Life has many mysteries, like how, many years ago, AHM could tool up a rather accurate plug-door PS-1 (certainly by the standards of the day it was nice), then turn around and tool up a strange 40' do

The gentleman from Portland Car & Foundry called me a couple months ago with a question about Champ decals. I've lost the note but found the decals in question. If he would drop me an email off-list,

A friend is scratchbuilding a model of an L&N 9800-series door-and-a-half boxcar. The roof design has him stumped. Since there appears to be 24 running board supports, I assume there are 24 carlines u

Tim O' wrote: Two points: I thought was Crockett was a sugar _beet_ refinery. Did C&H also bring in raw cane from their Hawaiian operations to be refined there? Or was sugar cane also grown in the Sac

So what happened to the Belkins? I loaned them some boxcar slides back in the mid-80s and never got them back. I wish that had taught me to never loan out originals to manufacturers except I did it 15

Did any truss-rod underframe cabooses survive in service on Class One railroads until 1960? I seem to recall an ICC order about not shoving on wood underframe cabs after, what, 1940? But was there any