Hello List-

There are many ways in which we as model railroad builders and historians build up our knowledge base. Reading other's research in the printed press and online is a solid provider of information. I also like to examine pictures for nuances and sometimes overlooked details.

As an interested party to all things Great Northern, I have had my endorphin fix satisfied many times over going over freight car photos. One interesting aspect of GN's box car equipment, which stands out to me, is the GN mid-century use of box car doors.

Starting with the 45000-52999 series of steel 4/5 Dreadnaught end wood double sheathed cars from 1937 through 1942, GN used steel doors used mostly for 10'6" IH box cars, but on the GN they were utilized for 10'0" IH cars. For example; the DS cars had 5/6/5T (the 'T' indicates tall spacing on the splice areas of the 3 sections) Early Youngstown doors instead of the industry-wide standard of the 5/6/5S (the 'S' indicates short spacing) EYDs. This practice continued with the release in 1944 of the first as-built plywood box cars.

The plywood cars had a good variety of doors, including both Superior and Youngstown composite wood/metal doors. Plywood cars with EYDs carried on with use of the T version. The extra height of these Youngstown doors were facilitated by the RR installing the lower door tracks  down low on the side sills. Contrasting with these, the Superior door equipped cars had the standard nominal height of 10'0" doors, which was accommodated by a more traditional lower track location just above and even with the top of the lower side sill. When the last 100 built-new plywood cars were released in 1946 the cars used a post-war 6/6/5 Improved Youngstown door (The one-year only "upside down door"). These last cars continued the use of 10'6" nominal height doors on these 10'0" plywood box cars. Interesting, the Superior door equipped plywood cars continued with the use of the more common industry standard 10'0" door heights.

What I would like to know is how this novel dual use by the GN for their door heights came  about. In the 1937 USA, very few house cars were 10'6" IH. GN had to had some thought to believe that there was an advantage. Anyone out there know? I would like to hear speculation, as well.

By the time of the steel 12 panel box cars release, GN used nominal height 10'0" doors (the 4/6/6 Improved Youngstown Door available in HO by South West Scale of Arkansas), finally adopting the near-universal standards.

Thanks,

-Andy Carlson

Ojai CA