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New York City wooden body railroad car ban
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41647
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Author:  Randy Hees [ Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:22 pm ]
Post subject:  New York City wooden body railroad car ban

In a history of the John Ringling private railroad car, they say that wooden bodied railroad cars were banned from the tunnels serving NYC railroad stations.

So far I can't find a specific law or date for this... does anyone have more information. If true (and i am assuming it is) it would explain the sell off of many private passenger cars in the teens.

Randy

Author:  ParlourcarII [ Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New York City wooden body railroad car ban

I read somewhere around 1910, when Pullman started producing steel cars, steel cars were encouraged, and around 1911/12 a law was passed. CPR had many heavyweight steel cars which had wood/canvas roofs, which were banned from US service because of this law.

Sorry I can't be more precise but to many sources to remember where I read this. It may have been the "Classic Train" books by Dubin.

Author:  jmlaboda [ Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New York City wooden body railroad car ban

Examples abound of wood sheathed cars that lasted in service into the 40s and 50s, some resheathed in steel while others were not. Not sure the source of the report but I would question it since most builders were just starting to build steel sheathed cars around that time so they would not have had enough steel sheathed cars on hand to handle all the equipment needs that they had.

Author:  DJSullivan [ Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New York City wooden body railroad car ban

Randy,

Have you looked at Jack White's comment on p. 456 of his Passenger Car book? I think the issue may have been the Hudson and East river tunnel approaches to Penn Station. I wonder if the "NYC" in your initial post (or source?) refers to New York City rather than New York Central. The ruling may be from the railroad, not a governmental body.

DJ

Author:  Brian Norden [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New York City wooden body railroad car ban

DJSullivan wrote:
Randy,

Have you looked at Jack White's comment on p. 456 of his Passenger Car book? I think the issue may have been the Hudson and East river tunnel approaches to Penn Station. I wonder if the "NYC" in your initial post (or source?) refers to New York City rather than New York Central. The ruling may be from the railroad, not a governmental body.

D.J.
Somehow our "Friendly Moderator" had duplicated his initial post. The other thread is now on page 3 at New York City wooden body railroad car ban -- the other post. I had a similar reply to that post.

It seems that we both remembered reading Jack's massive work.
Cheers.

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