Hello,
I am looking for info, or plans for the Lackawanna RR 18000-18999 series covered hoppers blt in Oct '56. I have conflicting information on the length, one source says 41' another 47'. Any help?
Thanks,
Bud Rindfleisch

On Apr 5, 2009, at 10:32 AM, bud9351 wrote:

Hello,
I am looking for info, or plans for the Lackawanna RR 18000-18999
series covered hoppers blt in Oct '56. I have conflicting information
on the length, one source says 41' another 47'. Any help?
Thanks,
Bud Rindfleisch

Bud,
I'm presuming you are looking for the cars in series 18000-18099, 100
cars built by AC&F lot no. 4698. The reason you are finding two length
dimensions is because the inside length is specified as 41' and outside
length as 47'-1".

The original set of drawings (about a dozen or so) are at the Museum of
Transportation in St. Louis, Mo. These include a general arrangement,
brake arrangement, and more detailed drawings of various steel parts or
assemblies. Contact me off list if you are interested in obtaining
copies.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins

Hi Bud,

The DL&W general arrangement drawings for these show 47' 0 3/4" over the buffers, while the top of the car from the ends of the running boards was 47' 6 3/4".

The inside length is 41' 0 3/4", which might be where the two numbers came from in your source -- inside versus outside length.

The 18020-99 had Barber S2A trucks; the first 20 had a variety of side frame drawings that I'd have to look up.

Running boards were Apex.

Always wondered if any other roads had this car ....Mike Del Vecchio

Mike and Ed,
Thanks for the 47' length on the DL&W soda ash hopper, and yes Ed, I see I made a numerical error in my original post :-[ 18000-18099 is more like it!
I am also wondering about the listed 12' height on these cars.....to top of running board?
Ed, are the drawings at the Museum of Transportation in St Louis available at the museum? I will be going there this coming summer for the S scale convention.
Thanks again gents!
Bud Rindfleisch

On Apr 5, 2009, at 4:49 PM, Bud Rindfleisch wrote:

Ed, are the drawings at the Museum of Transportation in St Louis
available at the museum? I will be going there this coming summer for
the S scale convention.

Bud,
The AC&F drawings are at the museum, and they are stored in two
locations. Gaining access to them must be coordinated with the staff at
the MOT.

Drawings for the specific covered hopper car you want are in boxes
stored in a baggage-mail car. It's likely to be pretty hot & humid in
August when the S scale convention is being held. I can say from
experience that being inside the baggage-mail car on a hot day isn't
fun. Ted Culotta can also attest to this. I urge you to do any drawing
searches as early in the morning as possible. Your activities will need
to be coordinated with Nick Ohlman (NOhlman@...), who is on
the MOT staff in the library building.

For drawings of freight cars built from the early 1930s to 1941, they
are stored in steel cabinets in an air conditioned building. These
drawings are also a lot quicker and easier to pull for viewing and/or
for having copies made. The drawings in the baggage-mail car take much
more time and effort. First you have to get to the right box (the boxes
are stacked about 8 high), then the specific drawing numbers of
interest have to be found (typically each box holds around 100
drawings).

By the way, this baggage-mail car is being deaccessioned per a list of
exhibits that the MOT apparently believes is expendable. I have no idea
what the MOT will do with the drawings if a new home for the car is
found. We're talking about several hundred boxes of drawings.

Contact me off list and we can discuss specifics.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins

The GA drawings say 12'6" high, top of rail to the top of the running board, and 9'9" wide over side plates, 37' 0 3/4" truck centers.

....Mike