The Wabash hopper car to the left of the crossing appears to be a 30xxx series car from the 30001 - 30294 group built by Standard Steel Car in 1912.  The cars had a 30'-6" IL and a 1738 cuft capacity.  281 cars were still on the roster in 1931, but they were all gone by 1940.

The next car to the left is a 34xxx series car from the 34001 - 34568 group built by Western Steel Car in 1913.

The cars received new bodies with rebuilt arch bar trucks.  The sides of the cars were six inches lower in height than the 30xxx series cars.  They  had a 28'-0" IL and cu ft  capy. of 1688.  407 cars were still on the roster in 1931, but they were all gone by 1940.

The other three hopper cars appear to be USRA cars in the 35000 - 35999 series built in 1919 by AC&F, Standard Steel Car, and Ralston Steel Car. The cars had a 30'-6" IL and a cu ft capy. of 1880.  In the 1930's, most of these cars received raised panel sides which increased the cu ft capy to 1941.  The last of the 35000's were scrapped in 1952.

The flat car does not show in the listing of coal cars or flat cars.  The number looks like it might be 37xx.  The Wabash did have some 37xx series cars in company service.

NIce photo!

Chet French

Dixon, IL

I'm curious- what were they rebodied from? 1913 is pretty early to rebody steel hoppers, and it seems strange that the car would be deliberately undersized compared to the 1912 order.

David Thompson

David,

Maybe they were concerned about the capabilities of used arc-bar trucks and wanted to limit their overloading capacities?

Al

The cars were described that way in the Wabash 1931 equipment book.  I assumed it was to bring the attention to the fact that they were new cars but had rebuilt trucks in 1913.

Chet French

Dixon, IL