What happened to the cars in Sand Springs, OK? Are they still around? Does anyone know the name or location of the scrap yard?

Thanks to a reference from "jayrod" on a different thread, I found a photo of Sand Springs Railway #121 mentioned in the above comment from last September:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1456111

Don't know if the "steel maintenance building" (and the two cars) still exist.


Les

It always amazes me that being on one thing on the internet, can sometimes lead to something else. I was on the "Steam era Freight Cars" site, which mostly deals with modelling these type cars, but which also shows prototype car photos and on occasion, mentions equipment at museums. There was a recent mention of a caboose with arch bar trucks at a place called the Oceano (California) Depot Museum. That museum was a new one on me, so I looked up the museum and, I found that in addition to the caboose, they also had a box car on the property. Took some digging on various sites, but finally got a decent photo of the car and it appears that it is an outside braced car that had its wood sides replaced with steel. Which got me to recall this old thread!

The car has no identification outside of a Southern Pacific "Sunset Lines" herald. The car is similar to a photo referenced earlier in this old thread of a car (SP MW2417) that was at a place called Schellville in California, which had disappeared. That car had roller bearing trucks applied; the boxcar there at Oceano is described as still having the old friction trucks. There was also an old in-service photo of a similar SP boxcar (SP # 114277) in this thread, and the door of both cars is obviously the same.

Not being from California, I have no idea where Oceano is located, but the museum looks pretty nice. Would like to find out some more into on the boxcar (including perhaps road number) but at least it looks like another outside braced, steel side converted boxcar, still exists!

Les

The Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad Preservation Society has ex Ma & Pa RR tool car X-11 at Muddy Creek Forks, PA. The Ma & Pa rebuilt it from an outside braced wooden box car from a Midwest RR that was wrecked while on the Ma & Pa. It looks just like a wooden box car but with two windows on each side to allow light to enter for workmen.

Charlie -

Thanks for the input. I found a photo of M&PA # X-11 and it looks like it kept its wood sides and was not given steel sides when rebuilt by the Ma & Pa. Nice car. Glad it has been preserved, but not a "rare bird" as per the thought of this particular thread.


Les

Les, looked it up, it is on the coast north of LA, here is the website of the museum: https://oceanodepot.org/ It says the boxcar is "1940s vintage" but it obviously is older, they also have a caboose from a shortline.

I'm by no means an authority on the SP, but it appears to be a class B-50-15 or B-50-16 boxcar from the early thirties, rebuilt with steel sides. SP had a lot of these. Here's a link to a pic: https://rr-fallenflags.org/sp/sp15249aso.jpg

I never thought about this before, Les, but I do believe that many outside braced wooden cars owned by the International Railways of Central America had their sides replaced with steel sheet during the period when the Guatemalan and Salvadoran Divisions were under direct government control. These aren't "preserved" in the RR museum sense, but a fair number still exist and are used now and then. If I'm not mistaken, some of them are ex-Oahu RR cars --- these can be spotted by their rounded roofs.

Dennis -

Thanks for the link to the photo of SP # 15249. Little bit different door, but looks about the same as the car there in Oceano.

Les

Sammy -

Thanks for the info on possible IRCA converted cars. Would like to see a photo or two. I'll look on the internet to see what I can find. Too bad none are formally preserved.

Les

Les, I can scrounge up a foto or two and send them to you by regular mail. I don't have any way to post pictures here.

There are museums in both Guatemala City and San Salvador with some of these cars, it's just they aren't considered rare like they are here. You might try searching "Museo de FEGUA".

Hi All
Mr friend and I were at the East broad Top RR, last Friday,, to ride the # 16. I was doing some roaming around the property, on the trolley side of the railroad..
I happened to come across this Outside braced boxcar,, being used for another purpose.. Maybe someone from the trolley museum can give its heritage, the boxcar looks to be standard gauge... Pat

Sammy - Checked for info on the "Museo de FEGUA" and found some photos on the internet of 2-8-0 # 34 and also number 205 which looks like it could be a 2-8-2, although I couldn't tell for sure. Engines and museum very neat and clean. Other rail equipment seen but no photos of steel sided outside braced boxcars, but I'll keep looking!

Les

Les, You might have better luck searching youtube. I can tell you that #205 IS DEFINITELY a 2-8-2, and that if you should happen to find any video of her, #204, or #200, in which the fireman is sitting on the armrest, well, it's yours truly.

I was up on the Georgetown Loop all day today, but TOMORROW I will dig some fotos and plans up for you. (Might not make the mail until Monday...)

Resurrecting an old thread, I just found out that the four Sand Springs Railway wood boxcars were actually converted to steel sides by the Frisco in 1948-49. Still don't know however if those two Sand Springs Railway cars in the "steel maintenance building" at the closed scrap yard, are still around.

Les