I recently acquired a set of negatives of different railroad themes.

This single negative was in a envelope marked "Boxcar Huge 8/14/47" it appears to been shot at the Western Maryland Freight House in Cumberland, MD.

Can anyone help me identify the boxcar class or any other information about the car....

Thank You.

Tim Wilson

Class X-30, 59861. Inside Length: 70'6" Inside Height: 10'0"
There was exactly one of these. It was used specifically to transport fire engines from American LaFrance in Elmira NY. Full width doors on the 'A' end allowed even the longest ladder trucks of the day to be carried inside.

GME

That would make sense... There were a couple of 700 series 1947 American LaFrance pumpers in our area.

THANK YOU!

http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/new_site ... m?pic=1513

Photo of the car being unloaded in Cumberland.

ALF 700 series, looks like one discharge on the chauffeur's side so I am going to say 750gpm. From where people are standing in the hose bed it seems that the booster tank is either small or non-existent with the reel (if there is one) in a compartment in the rear. Top of the line city engines for their day.

Please keep posting. These are quite a find.

GME

TrainLawyer, the Pumpers shown being unloaded were for the Meysersdale, PA FD. You were correct they were 750 gpm with 300 gallon Water Tanks.

I good friend of mine ID'ed the photo and the rigs in question.

Tim--

Thanks for uploading the photo! Definitely of museum/historical library quality!

So, is anyone going to try to model this?

There is a Yahoo group for precision modeling of Pennsy equipment and structures. This photo will, no doubt, be an inspiration. Might be a good negative to donate to PRR T&HS.

Contributions from members of the PRR-FAX Yahoo Group, comprised mainly of members of the PRR Technical & Historical Society and their followers:

This lone member of the X30 class, 59861, was built in 1931 specifically to meet the needs of American La France for longer fire fighting equipment, and to be able to carry two pumpers at once.

"AUTOMOBILES" is the proper stenciling for boxcars in vehicle service, whether cars, trucks, or fire engines. The forum comments are correct - the Class X30 car was in assigned service to American LaFrance on the Elmira Branch, and survived into Penn Central.

When it was first built, it was lettered "EXPERIMENTAL"

"During the summer of 1959 there was an American La France fire truck in a box car (NOT the one pictured) and the hauling train derailed on the Bald Eagle Branch somewhere between Tyrone and Lock Haven,PA. I was stationed at Altoona eastbound car shop where the wreck train was stationed. Said box car ended up in a ditch and one the fire truck tiedowns had broken loose causing the fire truck frame to twist. There was no visible damage to the fire truck other than the slightly warped frame. The Boxcar was good to go but its contents were not.

While the car (and firetruck) were in the Altoona e.b. car shop, an inspector from the Napolean, Indiana Fire Department came to look at the damaged truck. He told us that the townspeople were absolutely devastated that their fire truck would not be present for the big Fourth of July roll out. The towns people had been selling and buying raffle tickets for years on end awaiting this glorious day.
So the great lion hearted Pennsylvania RR wrote a check to the Napolean, Indiana FD and the bent frame American La France fire truck took up residence at (YOU GUESSED IT) the Altoona Works Fire Department." -- Bill Volkmer