In the 1961 CBC there are pictures of two modified SP flats (that appear to have been modified within the era of this group). The first is SP 598015 converted from a F-70-5 into a "Tote Bin" container car, and the other is SP 598100, a F-50-16 or -18 that is a "liqui-bin" container car.

What were the intended cargos for these containers? I imagine they were used in a relatively captive service, between???

Thanks,
KL

Kurt Laughlin wrote:

In the 1961 CBC there are pictures of two modified SP flats (that appear to have been modified within the era of this group). The first is SP 598015 converted from a F-70-5 into a "Tote Bin" container car, and the other is SP 598100, a F-50-16 or -18 that is a "liqui-bin" container car.

What were the intended cargos for these containers? I imagine they were used in a relatively captive service, between???

Kurt, a number of photos of these and a description of their use in presented in my SP Freight Cars, Vol. 3.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history

Besides plugging your products, could you at least provide SOME information if you're going to reply? It would be appreciated. Yes, a reference to available items that would help further are always welcome. I just think it's in somewhat bad taste to only mention those items when your the one who is selling them. Nothing personal, just something you might think about.

Todd K. Stearns

That's what I figured, but my limited curiousity about the subject won't justify a $65 purchase. Perhaps an ILL someday, if the curiousity still remains.

Thanks anyway,
KL

Todd Stearns wrote:

Besides plugging your products, could you at least provide SOME information if you're going to reply? It would be appreciated. Yes, a reference to available items that would help further are always welcome. I just think it's in somewhat bad taste to only mention those items when your the one who is selling them. Nothing personal, just something you might think about.

Two points, Todd: first, the book is a source of several photos, which I prefer not to place on-line as I don't have rights to do so; and second, the story is somewhat complex. I guess you're suggesting that I copy and paste the book text into a message here to save anyone the trouble of looking it up. Sorry, I don't see that as my function on line. A BRIEF answer to a simple question, I'm happy to provide.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history

How about going to the library?

No one should be criticized for telling you where to get information.
They should be thanked!

My 2 cents!

Peter J. McClosky
======


Todd Stearns wrote:

--
--
Peter J. McClosky
http://home.earthlink.net/~pmcclosky
pmcclosky@...

Unfortunately, SP-subject books are pretty thin on the ground in the libraries here in Pennsylvania. I mentioned an ILL - Inter-Library Loan, but without a specific source library to contact it can be a protracted and frequently fruitless affair.

Like I said, I was only slightly curious, so feh. . .

KL

My point was you could have gave him at least a little information. You didn't even provide a BRIEF answer, only a sales pitch. I'm not going to turn this into an argument.

Todd K. Stearns

On Feb 25, 2008, at 1:50 AM, Todd Stearns wrote:

My point was you could have gave him at least a little information.
You didn't even provide a BRIEF answer, only a sales pitch. I'm not
going to turn this into an argument.

But you HAVE turned it into an argument, Todd, and it's an argument
that recurs from time to time on this list, fueled by a common
misconception that we all ought to be able to get any kind of
information we want from the internet instantly and for free.
Apparently you weren't paying attention when Tony said that he would
have provided a brief answer if there were one that was both brief and
accurate. Those of us who write books about freight cars and other
railroad subjects do exhaustive research and put the results in book
form because it's the only way to convey the information in enough
detail to do the subject justice. If there's a simple answer to a
specific question, we're happy to provide it. But some of the
questions we get amount to "tell me all you know about subject X so I
don't have to buy your book," and I think we're entirely justified in
refusing to do so. I will add that no one writes or publishes books on
railroad history and modeling for the money. Given the amount of time
it takes to research and write a book, authors get paid about 25¢ an
hour. Publishers, of course, have to make a modest profit in order to
stay in business, but if they were really after big bucks they'd be
publishing things like celebrity autobiographies or high class
pornography, where there's a very much larger, and largely uncritical,
audience.

In short, get a clue. Some of what you may want to know about
prototype freight cars is still available only in print form, and
though there are ways to access it without buying the books or
periodicals (finding a library that has them or getting them via
interlibrary loan), they're sometimes cumbersome and take time. Firing
off a thirty second request on the STMFC list won't always get you what
you want, and abusing authors because they haven't made that possible
is inappropriate, not to say immature.

Richard Hendrickson


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

Todd Stearns wrote:

My point was you could have gave him at least a little information. You didn't even provide a BRIEF answer, only a sales pitch.

So identifying a source of answers and photos is not "a little information?" And excuse me, Todd, but there was NO sales pitch. I did not urge buying the book, nor even praised it as a "must have," only stated that it contained the information. If you think that's a "sales pitch" you need to get out more.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history

I'd say "The Professor" has offered more than "a little information" on both this forum and others (e.g. MFCL) on numerous occasions. If I say any more in his defense, I'll have to start sending him bills for legal fees!

Carl J. Marsico

Anthony Thompson <thompson@...> wrote:
Todd Stearns wrote:

My point was you could have gave him at least a little information.
You didn't even provide a BRIEF answer, only a sales pitch.

So identifying a source of answers and photos is not "a little
information?" And excuse me, Todd, but there was NO sales pitch. I did
not urge buying the book, nor even praised it as a "must have," only
stated that it contained the information. If you think that's a "sales
pitch" you need to get out more.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history