Van Dorn "Target" boxcar ends
Dennis Storzek
Thanks Dennis, I enjoyed reading that
Claus Schlund
Illinois Railway Museum has most of the issues of their publication, Rail & Wire, on their web site, so I can share it with you. Go to https://www.irm.org/current-rail-wire-issues/ and click on Issue 254 Winter 2020
https://hickscarworks.blogspot.com/
-Hudson
Photo: IC Furniture Boxcar 162101
Photo courtesy of Ray Breyer on the Facebook Pre-Depression Era Railroad Modelers group.
Note the Van Dorn “Target” end.
Comments from a source I no longer can recall:
“Recognizing that formed ribs would make a car end stronger while saving weight, Van Dorn eschewed the straight ribs that every other car builder ever used and instead used a series of concentric circular ribs. The design was developed around 1910 and several railroads tested out handfuls of sample cars. These included, at a minimum, the Rock Island, Illinois Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Southern Pacific. The only railroad to order a large number of cars with Van Dorn ends was the Central of Georgia, which ordered 500 boxcars that had "double target" ends that were slightly less striking.”
The stencil on the left door reads “This Car Not To Be Loaded With Grain”.
Photo taken 1913 or later. Location unknown.
Bob Chaparro
Hemet, CA
Photo: IC Furniture Boxcar 162101
Photo courtesy of Ray Breyer on the Facebook Pre-Depression Era Railroad Modelers group.
Note the Van Dorn “Target” end.
Comments from a source I no longer can recall:
“Recognizing that formed ribs would make a car end stronger while saving weight, Van Dorn eschewed the straight ribs that every other car builder ever used and instead used a series of concentric circular ribs. The design was developed around 1910 and several railroads tested out handfuls of sample cars. These included, at a minimum, the Rock Island, Illinois Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Southern Pacific. The only railroad to order a large number of cars with Van Dorn ends was the Central of Georgia, which ordered 500 boxcars that had "double target" ends that were slightly less striking.”
The stencil on the left door reads “This Car Not To Be Loaded With Grain”.
Photo taken 1913 or later. Location unknown.
Bob Chaparro
Hemet, CA
Elgin, IL
Photo: IC Furniture Boxcar 162101
Photo courtesy of Ray Breyer on the Facebook Pre-Depression Era Railroad Modelers group.
Note the Van Dorn “Target” end.
Comments from a source I no longer can recall:
“Recognizing that formed ribs would make a car end stronger while saving weight, Van Dorn eschewed the straight ribs that every other car builder ever used and instead used a series of concentric circular ribs. The design was developed around 1910 and several railroads tested out handfuls of sample cars. These included, at a minimum, the Rock Island, Illinois Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Southern Pacific. The only railroad to order a large number of cars with Van Dorn ends was the Central of Georgia, which ordered 500 boxcars that had "double target" ends that were slightly less striking.”
The stencil on the left door reads “This Car Not To Be Loaded With Grain”.
Photo taken 1913 or later. Location unknown.
Bob Chaparro
Hemet, CA
Dennis Storzek
On Oct 14, 2022, at 4:53 PM, Todd Horton via groups.io <toddchorton@...> wrote:
How many variations of the Van Dorn end were there? The C of Ga had a group of boxcars with Van Dorn ends but they were more oval shaped.Todd HortonOn Friday, October 14, 2022 at 02:21:41 PM EDT, Bob Chaparro via groups.io <chiefbobbb@...> wrote:Photo: IC Furniture Boxcar 162101
Photo courtesy of Ray Breyer on the Facebook Pre-Depression Era Railroad Modelers group.
Note the Van Dorn “Target” end.
Comments from a source I no longer can recall:
“Recognizing that formed ribs would make a car end stronger while saving weight, Van Dorn eschewed the straight ribs that every other car builder ever used and instead used a series of concentric circular ribs. The design was developed around 1910 and several railroads tested out handfuls of sample cars. These included, at a minimum, the Rock Island, Illinois Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Southern Pacific. The only railroad to order a large number of cars with Van Dorn ends was the Central of Georgia, which ordered 500 boxcars that had "double target" ends that were slightly less striking.”
The stencil on the left door reads “This Car Not To Be Loaded With Grain”.
Photo taken 1913 or later. Location unknown.
Bob Chaparro
Hemet, CA
--
Brian J. Carlson, P.E.
Cheektowaga NY
