Herb--

I don't know why I didn't ask when this thread was originally posted, but do you know the numbers of any of the above ex-GN and ex-BN cars? I'm trying to keep up to date on the cars of the Hill roads, so knowing the ID's of these 4 cars (and who acquired them from the Lind collection) would be helpful! Thanks in advance!

_________________
Have a Merry Eighth Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Update:

As posted in the Ironhorse Railroad Park in Chisago City, MN recent news thread, said organization has acquired three pieces of rolling stock from the Minnesota & Western collection (all were mentioned in Herb's initial post in this thread, as quoted below):

1. The "GN heavyweight baggage with Timken roller bearing 6 wheel trucks", which has now been identified as #258. Built by Pullman in 1918 as #26.

2. The "GN coach/diner? work train car", which has now been identified as a 12S-1DR sleeper with BN MofW #968456. More info on this car's history to come.

3. The "Iowa Central wood boxcar", which has now been identified as double sheathed Minneapolis & St. Louis wood box car #4520.

Now, that leaves a question: there were 4 ex-BN/nee-unknown or ex-BN/nee-GN cars listed in Herb's initial post. The 2 cars which were not acquired by Ironhorse Railroad Park were listed by Herb as "two other BN work train metal baggage cars". So, are the identities of these 2 other baggage cars now known, and have these 2 cars been acquired by any groups? Thanks in advance for any info provided!

_________________
Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Christmas!

The cars were scrapped for parts by Iron Horse Central.

Thanks, Herb, for the info! Were the numbers for either of these cars ever identified? Thanks in advance!

_________________
Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Can anybody post a current photo of that M&StL (ex-IaC) boxcar? Around 1974, I purchased that car from C&NW for $1. They gave me a nice postcard size contract and referred to the car as a "shed." They allowed me to work on their property to jack up the car and set it up on rubber tires for Don Lind to haul out to his museum.

The car was sitting near Kenwood and being used to store materials associated with that grain elevator where the M&StL and Milwaukee Road tracks came together side by side. Don had done some research and told me that the car was built for the Iowa Central and originally had Fox trucks.

Just out of curiosity, is it one of these?

http://www.midcontinent.org/equipment-roster/wooden-freight-cars/minneapolis-st-louis-4570/

Yes, I think it is. I have seen that Mid Continent boxcar and have always assumed that it is identical to the car I bought from C&NW and gave to Don Lind. Like the Mid Continent car, the one I acquired has the pressed steel fish belly underframe and the two large vertical angle irons at each end. It also has the manufactured sheet metal roof which was described in a painted lettering legend on the interior of the car. It did not have trucks, couplers, or any braking equipment. It was painted in that M&StL Kelly green like many of their depots. I have not seen the car since it headed out of Minneapolis being towed behind Don's truck, so I am curious how it held up over the years at Annandale.

I wonder how hard it would be to acquire a pair of Fox trucks.

Ron -

There are some photos of the car on the Ironhorse Railroad Park facebook page; both in an unpainted condition at the M&W, and then with some type of paint applied after it got to Chisago City.


Les

Les,

I see the photos. The siding looks rougher than I recall. It seems to me that it was tight and even on the bottom back then, and only needed paint maintenance to keep it up. I don't recall those metal patches, but they may have been there. The car also seems to have acquired a bit of swayback, like maybe 2 inches or so. I don't know how that would develop unless the side framing were rotting off on the bottom ends. I seem to recall that those side framing timbers were vertical with diagonal members too; and their ends terminated in cast iron connector pockets.

Funny looking at the pictures of the link from Mid Continents box car. I was there the weekend we unloaded it. If I remember correctly we cut a pc of channel iron off the south end of the trailer flat as we could not lift the car to clear it. I insisted in sending the car back out as we had got it and welded the channel back on. Skip thought I was nuts for going through the bother. Anyway the picture of the wrecker about to pick the Fox Trucks off I think has me in it. I looked like "Cousin It" back then and still seldom wash my bibs. I would of been about 180 lbs soaking wet back then too. Only question is the hard hat, I seldom recall wearing them very often? That is a pretty cool box car. Also bent up a plate at my job for the repair on the side sill which had been cutout. Years later while hunting parts for the UP #440 I found the plate I had bent up for the job. Never got used but is still in the car. 1976 doesn't seem that long ago but guess it really was a long time ago. Ha! Regards, John.

Does this trolley getting scrapped have any brass fittings or trucks I am looking for bell rope bushings a ge nameplate and bell cord hangers as well as other items.