On Thu, Jan 5, 2023 at 07:06 PM, WILLIAM PARDIE wrote:

Based on  his reputation I recently purchased one of his completed RUTLAND boxcars on Ebay. The builder of this car did an excellent job.  I wanted to upgrade a few details and when I started some research I learned that it was a one of a kind car that was purchases from another railroad after a dip in a lake..  I was able to obtain several photos but none were helpful with derails such as coupler release bars and air hose brackets.  I will keep searching but this does not detract from thr quality os the kit or the build.

Bill,
That would be Rutland 7999. It was a Canadian National car that derailed on the Rutland, on a floating bridge and went into Lake Champlain. At the time of the accident there was no easy way to fish it out, so the Rutland paid for it and left it in the lake. Several years later, after abandonment of the branch, there was a barge with a derrick dismantling the bridge, so the grappled for the car and retrieved it. Since it was in good shape, and paid for, the Rutland rebuilt it and added it to their roster, the only single sheathed car they had.

The car started life in 1917 as one of the new 60 ton (!) boxcars the Canadian Government Railways put in service for hauling grain. These were big cars for the day, a full 9' high inside and wider than the average car. Noted CN modeler Stafford Swain wanted me to do a common CN car, but couldn't come up with a drawing of the slightly later cars with the Hutchins roofs, but Ken Goslett found drawings of this car in the museum at Delson, PQ, so we decided it was close enough. After it was released, prolific author John Nerich approached me with photos of the Rutland car and the story, so I decided to add it to the line. When the Rutland rebuilt the car they did not reuse the original inside metal roof, opting instead for Murphy XLA or similar, so I built a new roof pattern for this version.

Anyway, the CN number series was 260000 - 260499, later 500000 - 500223, Built by Canadian Car & foundry 12/16 - 4/17.  The photo below is the next series, built by Eastern Car Co. later in 1917. The bodies are the same but the underframes are different. There is also a builders photo in the 1919 CBD that shows the original lettering. One thing I don't know is if the Rutland retained the original Canadian end sill steps, but I don't think so.



Dennis Storzek