When were M-53 ends modified with two horizontal batten strips and
a wide vertical reinforcement above the highest strip up to the top
of the end? I see this on some M-53 photos, but not all of them.

Tim O'Connor

Tim,

Are you sure the photos are of M-53 or M-53A? The description you
provide was typical for the ends on the M-15 wagon-tops. There were two
ends in the blue print set for the M-53/M-53A one was a one-piece and
the other was a two-piece end also used on the M-15K according to the
info on the drawing. It is possible that some claas M-53 had the
three-piece end, but probably only the result of a repair. I have
records on observations of about 50 M-53/M-53A wagon-tops and none had a
three-piece end and only one M-53, 381496, had a two-piece end.

The typical end construction was one-piece for the M-53, two-piece for
the M-53A and three-piece for the M-15.

Also remember after the M-15 wagon-tops received their new AAR
underframes in ~1955 they looked a lot like the M-53/M-53A especially as
they lost their inset side sills.

I hope this helps.

Bob Witt

Thanks, Bob, I didn't know that. So an M-15 and an M-53 are very alike
in appearance? I have photos of 375160, 375602, 376035, all showing the
3-piece end. And a photo of 385839, showing what must be a 2-piece end.

Do you have a photo of an M-15 before it was rebuilt in 1955? I don't
think I've ever seen one.

Tim O'Connor

--------------------------------------------


Tim,
Are you sure the photos are of M-53 or M-53A? The description you
provide was typical for the ends on the M-15 wagon-tops. There were two
ends in the blue print set for the M-53/M-53A one was a one-piece and
the other was a two-piece end also used on the M-15K according to the
info on the drawing. It is possible that some claas M-53 had the
three-piece end, but probably only the result of a repair. I have
records on observations of about 50 M-53/M-53A wagon-tops and none had a
three-piece end and only one M-53, 381496, had a two-piece end.
The typical end construction was one-piece for the M-53, two-piece for
the M-53A and three-piece for the M-15.
Also remember after the M-15 wagon-tops received their new AAR
underframes in ~1955 they looked a lot like the M-53/M-53A especially as
they lost their inset side sills.
I hope this helps.
Bob Witt

Tim,

Numbers 375160, 375602, 376035, all are some class of M-15 wagon-top
boxcars. Number 385839 is a M-53A.

Bob's Photos has at least one, 370577, an M-15K with a three-piece end
and there is one in the Armitage Collection, 370038, M-15K with a
three-piece end. There are two G.W. Sisk photos in the Winters
Collection now owned by Louis Marre that are on loan to Jay Williams.
Ted Cullotta included one in his "Essential Freight Car" series, RMC
July 2005, #371015, a M-15K, from the Sirham Collectio and it has a
one-piece end.

Recall that the underframe replacement project happened very quickly in
1955 with most cars being converted in that year. If you model before
that time one needs the fishbelly underframe version and if you model
after 1955 one needs cars with the new AAR underframe. Both the Sunshine
and the F&C models are of the M-15K with fishbelly underframes.

Bob Witt

==============================================


Tim O'Connor replied: Thanks, Bob, I didn't know that. So an M-15 and
an M-53 are very alike in appearance? I have photos of 375160, 375602,
376035, all showing the 3-piece end. And a photo of 385839, showing what
must be a 2-piece end.

Do you have a photo of an M-15 before it was rebuilt in 1955? I don't
think I've ever seen one.

--------------------------------------------
Bob Witt wrote: Tim, Are you sure the photos are of M-53 or M-53A? The
description you provide was typical for the ends on the M-15 wagon-tops.
There were two ends in the blue print set for the M-53/M-53A one was a
one-piece and the other was a two-piece end also used on the M-15K
according to the info on the drawing. It is possible that some claas
M-53 had the three-piece end, but probably only the result of a repair.
I have records on observations of about 50 M-53/M-53A wagon-tops and
none had a three-piece end and only one M-53, 381496, had a two-piece
end.

The typical end construction was one-piece for the M-53, two-piece for
the M-53A and three-piece for the M-15. Also remember after the M-15
wagon-tops received their new AAR underframes in ~1955 they looked a lot
like the M-53/M-53A especially as they lost their inset side sills.

Thanks Bob. Offline, I got this:

375160 is an M-15P, rebuilt from M-15k in 1955

375602 is an M-15PD converted from M-15NA, rebuilt from M-15k earlier (?)

Sheesh! Classes, subclasses, and now sub-subclasses.

Tim O'Connor

Tim O'Connor wrote: Thanks Bob. Offline, I got this:

375160 is an M-15P, rebuilt from M-15k in 1955
375602 is an M-15PD converted from M-15NA, rebuilt from M-15k earlier
(?)

Sheesh! Classes, subclasses, and now sub-subclasses.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Tim,

I was trying to spare you all that, but it is why some of us love the
B&O.

The Class M-15NA which became the M-15PD are interesting cars because on
these the B&O expanded the original 6-ft door opening to 8-ft. If you
look closely at the photo you can see how they cut the original "rib"
widen the door opening and added a "rib" on the side next to the
enlarged door opening. A very funky look. These conversions began in the
mid-1950s about the time the cars received new underframes. Some of the
class designations are related to the cars being rated at 40-tons or
50-tons. The original fishbelly undeframes were rated at 40-tons and
after the new underframes were added some still had trucks with 40-ton
journals. Later they replaced the trucks with 50-ton journals and then
assigned a new class.

Later these cars became new B&O/C&O class B-1 and lasted well into the
1970s with 102 still operating according to the 1973 ORER. I must now
stop and take this to the other list ...

Bob Witt

Numbers 375160, 375602, 376035, all are some class of M-15 wagon-top
boxcars. Number 385839 is a M-53A.

Bob's Photos has at least one, 370577, an M-15K with a three-piece

end

and there is one in the Armitage Collection, 370038, M-15K with a
three-piece end. There are two G.W. Sisk photos in the Winters
Collection now owned by Louis Marre that are on loan to Jay Williams.
Ted Cullotta included one in his "Essential Freight Car" series, RMC
July 2005, #371015, a M-15K, from the Sirham Collectio and it has a
one-piece end.

Recall that the underframe replacement project happened very quickly

in

1955 with most cars being converted in that year. If you model before
that time one needs the fishbelly underframe version and if you model
after 1955 one needs cars with the new AAR underframe. Both the

Sunshine

and the F&C models are of the M-15K with fishbelly underframes.

Bob Witt