Aluminum Box Cars?
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Ray Hutchison
There was an Illinois Central aluminum box car on E-bay last week. Not so interested in the car, but it did get me to thinking... Great Northern had one (only) aluminum box car. Ebay had a NP aluminum box car listed a while ago. Where these only experimental cars (I think that I read that somewhere, probably in relation to the GN car)? Or a prototype for some railways? (Southern Pacific had the silver overnight cars, but not certain if they were aluminum or not).
Ray Hutchison
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In addition to the ones you mention, Rock Island and GM&O (?) had one. All experimental. SP overnight cars were steel painted silver.
Thanks!
From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Ray Hutchison <rayhutchison2@...>
There was an Illinois Central aluminum box car on E-bay last week. Not so interested in the car, but it did get me to thinking... Great Northern had one (only) aluminum box car. Ebay had a NP aluminum box car listed a while ago. Where these only experimental cars (I think that I read that somewhere, probably in relation to the GN car)? Or a prototype for some railways? (Southern Pacific had the silver overnight cars, but not certain if they were aluminum or not).
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My bad; it was Alton, not GM&O.
Thanks!
From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of "BRIAN PAUL EHNI via groups.io" <bpehni@...>
In addition to the ones you mention, Rock Island and GM&O (?) had one. All experimental. SP overnight cars were steel painted silver.
Thanks!
From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Ray Hutchison <rayhutchison2@...>
There was an Illinois Central aluminum box car on E-bay last week. Not so interested in the car, but it did get me to thinking... Great Northern had one (only) aluminum box car. Ebay had a NP aluminum box car listed a while ago. Where these only experimental cars (I think that I read that somewhere, probably in relation to the GN car)? Or a prototype for some railways? (Southern Pacific had the silver overnight cars, but not certain if they were aluminum or not).
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Ian Cranstone
There were also experiments in aluminum boxcars in Canada in the years following the Second World War. Canadian National had 3 aluminum boxcars delivered in January 1946 (they also had five aluminum triple hoppers and five overhead ice bunker reefers built as well). The Roberval & Saguenay Railway was a little more involved with aluminum, which had much to do with Alcan being a major online customer. 30 aluminum boxcars were delivered in 1947, and an additional car in 1949. They also rostered a significant number of aluminum hoppers. Ian Cranstone
On 2022-07-20 10:18, Ray Hutchison wrote:
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Brian thanks for posting that digital scan C&A 1200. The distinctive 14 panel aluminum box cars were built for five railroads C&A, NKP, RI, C&O, M&StL. The Great Northern design was unique to the GN. On 7/20/2022 10:32 AM, BRIAN PAUL EHNI wrote:
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Tim O'Connor Sterling, Massachusetts
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Brian, It did get gobbled up into the GM&O. My understanding is it did not stay lettered for Alton for very long. Rich Christie
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Richard Townsend
Years ago I did a clinic on aluminum freight cars at an RPM meet in Salem, Oregon. I’m visiting the east coast right now or I would dig it out. I had done a fairly exhaustive literature search and covered boxcars, tank cars, reefers, and hoppers. I’ll try to remember to dig it out when I get home next week.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Jul 20, 2022, at 10:50 AM, Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:
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Jeffrey White
The IC had one aluminum reefer, to my knowledge there was never
an aluminum boxcar. The reefer is preserved at McComb, MS. They also built 5 aluminum 55ton hoppers. The reefer and hoppers were part of an experiment in 1947. Jeff White Alma IL On 7/20/2022 9:18 AM, Ray Hutchison
wrote:
There was an Illinois Central aluminum box car on E-bay last week. Not so interested in the car, but it did get me to thinking... Great Northern had one (only) aluminum box car. Ebay had a NP aluminum box car listed a while ago. Where these only experimental cars (I think that I read that somewhere, probably in relation to the GN car)? Or a prototype for some railways? (Southern Pacific had the silver overnight cars, but not certain if they were aluminum or not).
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Clark Propst
Off the top of my head the Alton, RI and M&StL all got ten. Maybe
another road too? Maybe the same number for the C&O and NKP? But their cars
came later with newer designed parts. These cars were built using leftover
aluminum sheets from WWII airplanes. I do know two M&StL were damaged. By
then the replacement parts were so expensive they used steel parts and painted
the cars in their paint scheme in use at the time.
Clark
Propst Mason City Iowa
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gary laakso
Volume 26 of Railway Prototype Cyclopedia covers aluminum house cars and refrigerator cars.
Gary Laakso Northwest of Mike Brock
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Clark Propst via groups.io
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2022 10:34 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Aluminum Box Cars?
Off the top of my head the Alton, RI and M&StL all got ten. Maybe another road too? Maybe the same number for the C&O and NKP? But their cars came later with newer designed parts. These cars were built using leftover aluminum sheets from WWII airplanes. I do know two M&StL were damaged. By then the replacement parts were so expensive they used steel parts and painted the cars in their paint scheme in use at the time. Clark Propst
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Tony Thompson
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Tony Thompson
As already mentioned, Pat Wider wrote an excellent summary of the aluminum cars in RP Cyc 26, including a sensible and well-written summary of the metallurgy of the alloys used. Please consult that source rather than what you vaguely remember.
Tony Thompson tony@...
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