Photo: Chalk Marks On Boxcar

This is link to a photo from the collection of the University of Utah:

https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s66138c3

Does anyone have an educated guess (as opposed to a SWAG) as to what the series of chalk marks along the upper side of the car mean?

Thanks.

Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA

On Sun, Dec 1, 2019 at 11:39 AM, Richard Townsend wrote:

As long as we're wondering, I wonder what the little hooks under the left-most two side panels are for.

For hanging a water bag to drip on an overheated journal (hotbox) to nurse it along until the car can be set out. The Q was a big proponent of this, even having them over tender trucks.

As to the prominent chalk marks, someone was using the car side as a chalk board, likely counting piles of something on a loading dock. They may not even have anything to do with a load that was ever in this car.

Dennis Storzek

Keeley Cans & Hoses

This message was posted by "MontourMan" on Train Orders.com on 09/26/16. It was in response to a question about hoses over the truck bearings on a UP locomotive tender.

Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA

++++

Keeley was a name that railroaders picked up to use referring to the treatment of hotboxes. See the attached Wikipedia link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeley_Institute

We have several portable "Keeley Cans" that the Burlington made, that have light chains to secure it to the freight car body.

Attached to it was a long rubber hose with a regulating valve to control water flow to the hot bearing.

This was to allow the car to be moved to the nearest set off point for proper repair.

These cans are marked "Burlington" and I have never seen anything like it from any other railroad.

Guy - are these cans in the photo Keely Cans? that you are referring to?  Norm Buckhart

On Mon, Dec 2, 2019 at 09:30 AM, Norm Buckhart wrote:

are these cans in the photo Keely Cans

Yes, they are.  Thanks for great photos to illustrate this topic.
Jack Mullen