Recently in my home town of Chambersburg Pa a B&O 88 year old Coal car has been placed on display by the local rail trail. http://www.publicopiniononline.com/stor ... /75885842/

It's a B&O W-2A car, believed to be the only survivor of the 7,000 W-2, W-2A, and W-2B's that B&O bought in the 1920's. Unfortunately, the original number has not been determined. For modelers, it's the prototype of the well-known Athearn offset quad car. Similar cars were owned by MoPac, Erie, C&O, MILW, M-K-T, and B&M, but nobody owned more than B&O.

Not only did Randy manage to save the car, but he managed to find the correct trucks to go with it, which was not an easy task by any means.

I saw the car a couple days ago and noticed that fresh primer had been applied.

The text of the article has a few minor errors, but nothing to lose sleep over.

Tom

Tom -

Looking forward to seeing her lettered for the B&O. Since they can't find the cars original number, it's nice to have 7,000 numbers to choose from, although from your comments, I'm not sure how many of these 7,000 were in the W-2A class.


Les

Number series in order of construction, plus spotting features, are:
W-2 B&O 433000-433999, blt. Std. Steel Car, Baltimore, Md., 6/1926. Vertical brake staff. 2736 cu. ft.
W-2 B&O 432000-432999, blt. Bethlehem Steel, Johnstown, Pa., 9/1926. Vertical brake staff. 2736 cu. ft.
W-2A B&O 434000-434999, blt. Std. Steel Car, Baltimore, Md., 12/1926. Vertical brake staff. 2736 cu. ft.
W-2A B&O 532000-532999, blt. Std. Steel Car, Baltimore, Md., 3/1927. Vertical brake staff. 2736 cu. ft.
W-2A B&O 533000-533999, blt. Bethlehem Steel, Johnstown, Pa., 3/1927. Vertical brake staff. 2736 cu. ft.
W-2B B&O 431000-431999, blt. Bethlehem Steel, Johnstown, Pa., 10/1929. Power hand brake; Duryea Cushion underframe. 2716 cu. ft.
W-2B B&O 430000-430999, blt. Std. Steel Car, Butler, Pa., 11, 1929. Power hand brake; Duryea Cushion underframe. 2716 cu. ft.

This information is from Railway Prototype Cyclopedia #5, RP CYC Publishing Co., P.O. Box 451, Chesterfield, MO 63006-0451. Copyright 2000.

Many cars built with vertical brake staffs received power brake in later rebuildings. The preserved car has power brake but was identified as a W-2A by its lack of Duryea Cushion underframe, and close measurement of the hoppers.

It has been suggested that a photo of a similar B&O W-2A car taken in service in the Chambersburg area might be used as a pattern for the lettering, but I don't know whether this is the current plan.

Tom

Tom -

Thanks for the detailed roster. Looks like there were "only" 3,000 of the W-2A class cars. Will be interesting to see what number they give their car. Glad they have a photo of one of the W-2A's.


Les

As of today, I have been told the black finish coat has been applied and the car awaits completion of stencils.

I got to look at it Thursday before having going back to college. It was extraordinary to get a look at it. I only have two questions. Was the interior also painted / treated? Also what type of paint was used? When I was taking a look at the car it felt and looked like rino lining that is used in truck beds.

I'm not directly involved in the project, so I can't answer those questions. Hopefully somebody with the answers will chime in.

Tom

This is slightly off this topic, but same general (geographic) area....does anyone know what the scoop is on the little park along rte 30 that has a caboose, some flatcars and some track? Is there a purpose to it? Are they going to operate someday? Just someone's collection?

I drive York to Bedford on rte 30 from time to time and I've seen the hopper in Chambersburg....nice to hear the story on it.......now if there was just a Chambersburg hammer display !!

That park is really just a community park. If memory serves correctly the caboose used to be on display by I-81 next what used to be an Exxon station. Chambersburg despite our looks has good bit rail history so the park is a place where rail equipment is put on display. A few years ago a group of volunteers set up a small rail loop for that is used to give rides at special events at the park.

http://www.norlopark.com/all-about-norlo-s-trains.html

At least three of the pieces on display at this park, and maybe all four, owe their existence to NRHS Chapters. The two cabooses were originally preserved by the "local" Cumberland Valley Chapter NRHS, based in Chambersburg, and the vinegar tank car came from the nearby Winchester (Va.) Chapter.

A reliable source has told me the interior of the hopper car was not repainted. I have heard no reason for this.

As for the little railroad display along the south side of route 30, the location is actually on the former right of way of a Cumberland Valley (PRR) Railroad branch on the west side of Fayetteville, PA in Norlo Park. There is a PRR N5 cabin car, PRR N8 cabin car, a PRR (F30?) flatcar, and a vinegar tank car. At least one cabin car paint scheme is questionable. In addition to the cars, the site includes the passenger shelter that used to stand on the same branch at Quincy, plus a shed that used to stand along the tracks between Pond Bank and Mont Alto. The latter structure may not have been railroad-owned.

Tom -

According to their website, the flat is not an F30 but a class F41.


Les

The little community park is Norlo Park, built and operated by Guilford Township. The small depot was indeed originally in Quincy, Pennsylvania, along the former Mont Alto Railroad, which became the Waynesboro Branch of the Cumberland Valley and later Pennsylvania Railroads. I owned the station for over 20 years until ownership was transferred to the township. I assisted in the restoration and during the summer and early fall months open the station for tours on Saturday afternoons, to accompany the New Franklin Railroad, a miniature train donated by Arnold McKenzie, which is operated by members of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of the NRHS.

This link has further information as well as photos:

http://www.jamesfouchard.com/quincy/station/index.html

James -

Interesting depot. Glad you were there to save it. I noticed it has no operators bay and apparently (at least in 1948) no order board. So, was there ever an agent stationed there?


Les