Beaver, PA, Robert John Davis photo.
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| P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45559 |
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| Author: | Les Beckman [ Thu May 20, 2021 10:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Recently ran across some photos of a 40' steel boxcar painted medium green located at a place named Boston in the state of Pennsylvania: https://shootinthegap.wordpress.com/tag ... rousel-114 https://shootinthegap.wordpress.com/tag ... rousel-111 The boxcar has a Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad herald painted on the side, but no other information. It is sitting on a short section of track and located near a visitors center for the Great Allegheny Passage trail that runs past it. The visitors center may, or may not be, a former shelter (depot) for the P&LE. Boston itself is a small town and is also know as "Little Boston" to differentiate it from the slightly more well know city of the same name in Massachusetts. Although the box car has the P&LE herald, I'm not sure it actually is an ex-P&LE car. The car has grab irons instead of ladders along with a roof top brake wheel. Might this have been a wood bodied car later converted to steel sides? Or an early steel car? It obviously had a wooden roof walk at one time and sits on friction bearing Bettendorf trucks. Does anyone have any information as to the heritage of this boxcar? Thanks! Les |
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| Author: | David H. Hamley [ Fri May 21, 2021 9:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
I can assure you that the car is of P&LE origin. When P&LE pulled up their branch through Perryopolis, PA in the 1960s they left behind a short section of track and two 1920s vintage boxcars adjacent to a feed mill at the north end of town, next to PA Rt. 51. The feed mill used these for product storage until the 1990s when one car was cut up. It is the remaining car that is now at Boston. I did at one time ID both cars by stenciling on the underframes (after the feed mill repainted the exteriors), but I can't at this time find those notes. (Even if I did, it wouldn't prove which car this is, as the restoration before being placed on exhibit has painted the underframe. I can however ID the series from which both cars came; P&LE 36000-36499. A 1965 Freight Car Register showed 172 of these cars still in use, so there are plenty of suspects. |
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| Author: | Les Beckman [ Fri May 21, 2021 11:41 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
David - Thanks for the information. Very interesting! There still might be a way to determine the actual road number of this 36xxx series car. Quite often, car numbers were painted on the inside of the car, usually near the door. That number might have survived. Of course, you'd have to gain access to the cars interior to find out. Glad to hear that this 1920's era P&LE car survived! Les |
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| Author: | jayrod [ Fri May 21, 2021 2:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Those cars were originally built by Standard Steel Car’s Butler plant in 1929. I’m no P&LE expert but I know some went through a rebuilding, probably at the McKees Rocks shop, where maybe they acquired the grab irons in lieu of ladders. I imagine it was wreck damage repairs. Some 50’ boxcars got the same treatment. [Edit] After some sleuthing, McKees Rocks shops rebuilt quite a few 40’ and 50’ USRA cars in the ‘30s. For both P&LE and PMcK&Y. The rebuilt cars show grab irons. Some of them, if not all, started life as single sheathed cars. Of note, there are three P&LE 40’ boxcars at the Beaver Agway in Beaver, PA that have been there for as long as I can remember - ‘70s at least. I drive past them often but never paid attention to the details. I’ll pay closer attention next time. |
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| Author: | Les Beckman [ Fri May 21, 2021 10:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
jayrod wrote: Of note, there are three P&LE 40’ boxcars at the Beaver Agway in Beaver, PA that have been there for as long as I can remember - ‘70s at least. I drive past them often but never paid attention to the details. I’ll pay closer attention next time. Eric - And try to grab a few photos if you can. Amazing that there are these P&LE survivors in Boston and now in Beaver, PA. Les |
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| Author: | jayrod [ Sat May 22, 2021 7:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Les - Via Google Earth and Street View, two of the cars are appear to be 40’ PS-1 cars, one of which has what might be a bit of wreck damage. The one behind the main building is a later 50’ car but not enough is visible to determine the model. The next time I go through there by myself, I’ll stop to grab some shots and see if I can determine any car numbers. The bodies have been painted blue many times over so I’ll see if I can look in the usual places for numbers. |
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| Author: | Les Beckman [ Sun May 23, 2021 12:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Eric - That would be great. Les |
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| Author: | PMC [ Sun May 23, 2021 12:26 am ] | ||
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! | ||
Beaver, PA, Robert John Davis photo.
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| Author: | jayrod [ Sun May 23, 2021 10:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Boston car: By way of http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-FREIGHT2.htm#L455, a very comprehensive NYC roster list, there were 500 cars built in the 36000 series by Standard Steel Car’s Butler plant in 1929. Some cars remained on the roster until 1967. The end panels in the photo are different than I would expect though they could have been replaced. I would have thought that they would have the narrower ribs of cars typical of the era but they are among the first 9’-4 IH instead of the typical 8’-7 IH built previously so that could also explain the difference. It does have the straight sills that you would expect. I haven’t run across any images yet to verify other details. Beaver cars: The 40’ cars were likely built at Despatch Shops. Seems that’s where P&LE purchased most of their run of the mill boxcars being an NYC subsidiary. I’m still poking around on those. Nothing yet on the 50’ car. Les, you sent me down a rabbit hole…. |
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| Author: | Les Beckman [ Sun May 23, 2021 10:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Sorry! |
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| Author: | Les Beckman [ Thu Apr 13, 2023 3:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
jayrod wrote: Boston car: By way of http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-FREIGHT2.htm#L455, a very comprehensive NYC roster list, there were 500 cars built in the 36000 series by Standard Steel Car’s Butler plant in 1929. Some cars remained on the roster until 1967. The end panels in the photo are different than I would expect though they could have been replaced. I would have thought that they would have the narrower ribs of cars typical of the era but they are among the first 9’-4 IH instead of the typical 8’-7 IH built previously so that could also explain the difference. It does have the straight sills that you would expect. I haven’t run across any images yet to verify other details. Beaver cars: The 40’ cars were likely built at Despatch Shops. Seems that’s where P&LE purchased most of their run of the mill boxcars being an NYC subsidiary. I’m still poking around on those. Nothing yet on the 50’ car. Les, you sent me down a rabbit hole…. Eric - Ran across this nearly 2 year old note and just wondered if you knew if the P&LE boxcars were still there in Beaver, PA? Les |
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| Author: | jayrod [ Fri Apr 14, 2023 12:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: P&LE (?) boxcar in Boston...Pennsylvania that is! |
Les - Yup, they’re still there. Thanks for jogging my memory. I’ll be heading over that way within a week or two. I’ll try to remember to stop. I drive right past them often enough and never even think about them. |
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