OERM's BA&P 22 (1906 Pressed Steel) boxcar will hopefully soon be receiving some paint and other attention, and so we've been doing an assessment. We've set up a temporary page on the OERM website in order to post some photos: http://www.oerm.org/pages/bap22.html

As seen in the photos, the car has a double layer wood roof. Interestingly, there is a layer of canvas under the roof walk area (see photo), and there are also bits of canvas between the roof grab irons and the wood (see photo). Our assumption is that the canvas under the roof boards was installed to protect the joint at the peak of the roof, and that the canvas under the roof grabs was something to protect the wood.

We do not believe that the car would have had canvas over the whole roof, and in fact can not recall any freight cars with canvas on their roofs. From our own collection (and others) we are familiar with various types of metal coverings on roofs, as well as plain wood roofs as seen here on the BAP 22. We would welcome other information though, and also thought folks would enjoy seeing some photos of this car. Amazingly it hung around the BA&P as a storage car until acquired by the museum in 2009.

Hi John,

I suspect the canvas was just a gasket at specific leak points. Canvas freight car roofs were tried in the 1850's and 60s and were considered a failure. The canvas was too easily damaged, and weathered quickly.

If it was a canvas roof I would expect a single board roof.

You didn't take a picture of the edge of the roof. On a double board roof I would expect some type of grove at least on the bottom board, facing up to direct water that gets between the upper boards out.

I wrote a paper on freight car years a few years ago, that can be found at http://www.pacificng.com/ref/freighttec ... y_Hees.pdf

Randy

The canvas sections wouldn't be used as an insulator due to the cantenary used on the BA&P would it?

Taylor