I was reviewing the photos in RPC #2 and Kaminski's ACF Tank cars book
tonight and noticed something I hadn't seen before. The cars in the photos
have three different uncoupling levers depending on when they were
constructed. Cars built up through approximately Jan 1931 had carmer type
levers, from 1931 to the late 30's top operated levers were installed, and
starting around 1937 bottom operated levers were installed. I wonder if Ed
has any better data on these changes?

The cars I am modeling came from lots 1629 and 2355 so base on the photos
bottom operated levers are required. I'm wondering if the Carmer type or top
operated lots would have been changed later in life? I'm guessing the answer
is maybe.
Brian J Carlson P.E.
Cheektowaga NY

On Jul 8, 2007, at 8:53 PM, Brian J Carlson wrote:

I was reviewing the photos in RPC #2 and Kaminski's ACF Tank cars book
tonight and noticed something I hadn't seen before. The cars in the
photos
have three different uncoupling levers depending on when they were
constructed. Cars built up through approximately Jan 1931 had carmer
type
levers, from 1931 to the late 30's top operated levers were
installed, and
starting around 1937 bottom operated levers were installed. I wonder
if Ed
has any better data on these changes?

The cars I am modeling came from lots 1629 and 2355 so base on the
photos
bottom operated levers are required. I'm wondering if the Carmer type
or top
operated lots would have been changed later in life? I'm guessing the
answer
is maybe.

Brian, it would depend on whether their couplers were later replaced
with bottom-operated type Es, in which case bottom-operated rotary
uncoupling mechanisms would have been required. AC&F continued to use
Carmer levers long after most other car owners stopped doing so; in
fact, some railroads that got USRA cars from the feds during WW I
disliked the Carmer levers so much that they replaced them in the 1920s
with top-operated rotary uncouplers.

Richard Hendrickson

Just for the record, there were carmer uncoupling levers still in use
in the mid to late 1970's, I pull a few of those pins while switching.
Jeff Coleman

--- In STMFC@..., Richard Hendrickson <rhendrickson@...>
wrote:

On Jul 8, 2007, at 8:53 PM, Brian J Carlson wrote:

I was reviewing the photos in RPC #2 and Kaminski's ACF Tank cars

book

tonight and noticed something I hadn't seen before. The cars in

the

photos
have three different uncoupling levers depending on when they

were

constructed. Cars built up through approximately Jan 1931 had

carmer

type
levers, from 1931 to the late 30's top operated levers were
installed, and
starting around 1937 bottom operated levers were installed. I

wonder

if Ed
has any better data on these changes?

The cars I am modeling came from lots 1629 and 2355 so base on

the

photos
bottom operated levers are required. I'm wondering if the Carmer

type

or top
operated lots would have been changed later in life? I'm

guessing the

answer
is maybe.

Brian, it would depend on whether their couplers were later

replaced

with bottom-operated type Es, in which case bottom-operated rotary
uncoupling mechanisms would have been required. AC&F continued to

use

Carmer levers long after most other car owners stopped doing so; in
fact, some railroads that got USRA cars from the feds during WW I
disliked the Carmer levers so much that they replaced them in the

1920s

with top-operated rotary uncouplers.

Richard Hendrickson


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Brian wrote:

Cars built up through approximately Jan 1931 had carmer type
levers, from 1931 to the late 30's top operated levers were installed, and
starting around 1937 bottom operated levers were installed.
Brian,

All cars (in interchange) built new on, or after August 1, 1933, were
required to have rotating type uncoupling levers. It was "recommended" that when
cars built prior to that date received Type 1 repairs that they be so equipped.

Kind Regards,

Guy Wilber
West Bend, WI





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