Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Folks;
Since some of you were asking, I did some digging, on the PRR X38 variants.
I do not know the entire story, but it is an important car, widely seen in
auto parts and general service. You need this car. I hope someone is coming
out with it.
The X38 was PRR's 50-foot version of the X37; built in the immediate pre-war
and war years, as an "automobile" car. All came equipped with staggered
"7-foot" (actually wider, over a 14'6" door opening) doors and 10'7 IH.
In fact, it was much more. Most X38's were found in dedicated service, with
few actually in automobile service with floor tubes and tie-downs; many more
in auto parts service, with racks for miscellaneous parts, auto chassis (!),
auto side panels, auto roofs, and auto bodies. These went all over the
country to auto plants.
There were seven X38 equipped with veneer flooring for shipment of felt.
There were 582 (!) X38 with nailable steel floors in the doorway area. Many
of these were also rack cars.
X38A came with end doors.
I believe X38 (no sub-class) were in series 58101 to 58799 (700 cars), and
73700 to 76099 (2400 cars). X38A were in series 57800-58099 (300 cars) and
76100-76399 (300 cars).
The fixed ends were 5/5 Dreadnaught ends with a shortened top rib, plus a
"stepped" eave like the X37. Some cars in the 58xxx series came with 7-panel
Superior doors, and others with 7'+ "pre-war" Youngstown doors. Cars in
series 73700+ appear to have 3-plank wooden running boards, while cars in
series 58xxx have what appears to be Allen Wood steel running boards, but
this needs confirmation at the PRRT&HS archives. I suspect the wooden r/b
was a wartime restriction, but I want the correspondence. I also need to do
additional research on the roof issue. It appears that 58xxx series had
lap-seam roofs like the X37, but some of the 73xxx cars had seam caps on what
appears to be a rectangular panel roof. This may be where the confusion
comes in regarding what folks can or cannot model.
The X38 also came with a double-width side panel, of 2 double/3 double
configuration. This feature is why there has been no easy bashing of this
car, unless one were to start with 2 Sunshine X37's and go from there...
At some point, over 400 random cars in both series of X38 were rebuilt with
single 7' doors, as sub-class X38C, and sent right back into service as auto
parts cars. The filler was two equal width panels riveted to new posts.
They lost 100 cubic feet in capacity during the rebuild, and I have no idea
why.
The X38D was an XML, in series 605000-605349 (350 cars). The 600000 series
on the PRR was generally a segregated service series, so these cars need
additional research and photos to get to the "why". Dimensionally, they are
1 inch shorter inside, 2 inches narrower, 5 inch narrower at the eaves, and
pretty much the same elsewhere. They are also approx. 100 cubic feet less in
capacity than the X38.
The X38F were rebuilds of X38 (renumbered to series 45500 to 45672 - 173
cars), with cushioning.
The X38H (7 cars in series 46993 to 46999) were also rebuilds, but of X38A,
also with cushioning.
The X38L were rebuilds with cushioning, and also replacement of both doors
with a 10-foot plug door, and "Load Divider" (LD) equipped. Photos show
these with a deep fishbelly replacement side sill. I have yet to figure out
exactly how many were rebuilt.
These cars would make a perfect addition to the many cars we currently host
on our layouts.
Elden Gatwood
_
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
