Yes, the locomotive is Piglet from Bluegrass RM.


James Hamilton

This is indeed the locomotive that was at BGRM. Please see http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=1790

Here's a little more info on the car body in the opening message in this discussion, courtesy of floks on the Steam Era Freightcars list:


Eric Lombard said:
"A candidate series would be GN 13000-17276 rebuilt out of older cars 1930 with steel underframes (but still with truss rods). There were 2273 in 7-1943, 1276 in 4-1948, 54 in 1-1953 and gone by 10-1955. there is a photo of #16052 from the Bob Charles Coll. on the NMRA site. Many details match."


http://archive.nmra.org/Photographs.asp ... ageIndex=0

Staffan Ehnbom said:
"The GN had more than 20000 of these 40' 40 ton truss rod box cars built by Haskell and Barker between 1901 and 1917. Most of them were rebuilt with steel underframes in the late 1920's. The largest series with wood ends and straps were the 3000-7999, 26000-27249, 32000-37154 and the 13000 series Eric mentioned."

"The GN16015 is saved in good shape and on archbar trucks still at the Lake Whatcom, WA museum. The museum needs donations for its restoration."

Some more GN examples.

Says Protocraft: "Beginning in 1901 and through 1917, Haskel & Barker built 16,781 truss-rod wood 40-ton boxcars for the G.N. Amazingly quite a number remained in revenue service into the 1950’s."

source: http://www.protocraft.com/category.cfm? ... egoryid=20

It certainly does appear they're common. I spotted 3 more of them today from the freeway between Great Falls and Helena, and that without even really looking for them. They appeared to be the same as the car in the photo. Granted, this is based on passing by at 75 mph, so it wasn't exactly rivet counting. But they looked a lot alike.

The most obvious feature is the door (is that for grain loading?) and straps on the end.

Most commonly known as a lumber door. Now, that's not to say that lumber was loaded through this little door, but if the load included lengths too long to go completely in through the side door (when these cars were built "balloon framed" buildings were still being built, and framing lumber was available in 24' lengths) the end of the board could be poked out through the lumber door so the other end would clear the door post and be swung into the car.

Getting back to the original subject of this thread, at least there is an example of this sort of car slated for preservation. Mr. Ehnbom sent a photo, and added this:

"Between 1901 and 1917 the Great Northern received more than 20000 40 ft. 40 ton basically same construction truss rod box cars from Haskell & Barker. Most of these cars received a steel underframe in the late 1920s. One car is in good shape and still on its archbar trucks and has its K brake. It is the GN16015 at the Lake Whatcom Railway Museum, Washington. The museum is working to set up a nonprofit organisation intended to renovate this car, and if possible, additional GN freight cars. They have applied for a grant for 25000 dollars from the Washington State Historical Society Heritage Capital Projects Fund and the project has been determined eligible. They will need to raise two thirds of the amount themselves, partly by volunteer work valued at ten dollars an hour. Needless to say they need pledges for monetary contributions."