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Santa fe wood boxcar info needed -photos of found cars added
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38597		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Jason Midyette [ Wed Sep 23, 2015 10:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Santa fe wood boxcar info needed -photos of found cars added
Does anyone know of (or better yet have) a roster or other information on Santa Fe /AT&SF wooden boxcars?

I am trying to track down any history that I can on AT&SF 44942 and 48259, both of which I happend to find in a barn yesterday. (for real. They are of course de trucked bodies, but they have been under cover an off the ground since they were retired around 1935)

Jason Midyette
Author:  Richard Glueck [ Wed Sep 23, 2015 10:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed
Got pictures?
Author:  Les Beckman [ Wed Sep 23, 2015 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed
Jason -

Very interesting. Underframes...yes or no? Single sheathed (outside braced)?

Hope you find the history of the cars.


Les
Author:  Brian Norden [ Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed
The best reference is the following:
    Santa Fe Railway Rolling Stock Reference Series -- Volume Four
    Santa Fe Boxcars 1869-1953
    By John C. Dobyne III
    published by the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society, Inc.

Finding the information in the book would be quicker if the cars showed (and you noted) the car class. It appears that 44942 is class Bx-W and 48259 is class Bx-X.

The class number is based on the first and last letters of the car type word and then followed by a alpha (and later a numeric) sequence character(s).

Instead of transcribing the information here is a scan of a portion of the write-up about the classes of similar cars.
Attachment:
scan0001-2.jpg
scan0001-2.jpg [ 30.84 KiB | Viewed 8728 times ]
Orange Empire has a complete example of a Bx-X that never got re-trucked by the Santa Fe: ATSF-49131
The underframe is of composite wood and steel construction.

IRM might have an interest. They had acquired a car from one of these classes. But the truck driver took a wrong turn and hit a low underpass.
Author:  Les Beckman [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed
Les Beckman wrote:
Jason -

Very interesting. Underframes...yes or no? Single sheathed (outside braced)?

Hope you find the history of the cars.


Les


Jason -

One of the other questions I should have asked is whether the lettering is still legible. If so, Brian Norden's idea as to car class might be the way to go. BUT, if you are strictly finding the car number from that painted on the inside of the car, the car class may not be discerned. Incidentally, the H&B in the list Brian referenced stands for Haskell & Barker of Michigan City, Indiana.

Les
Author:  Brian Norden [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 1:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed
With the class designation I might have found the necessary page in the book a minute or two quicker. From the scan you can see the class associated with each number series.

The SFRH&MS may have additional information in its reference library collection. Years ago, on behalf of OERM, I obtained the sales date of our car from a Santa Fe car record collector. After he died the Society filled half a box car with his collection to ship it to its collection at Temple, Texas.

HO-scale, resin kits of these classes are available from Westerfield.
Here is the Westerfiled information page for the Bx-W, X, and Y class models. And here is the page for the Bx-Z cars.
Author:  Dennis Storzek [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed
Les Beckman wrote:
Les Beckman wrote:
Incidentally, the H&B in the list Brian referenced stands for Haskell & Barker of Michigan City, Indiana.


Having spent some time sorting and filing in an accessible location the Haskell & Barker drawing collection in the Pullman Library at IRM, I recall there was a LOT of Santa Fe material. Very likely a full set of builders drawings are available for the H&B and Pullman constructed cars; possibly also something for the Standard Steel Car Co. built cars.
Author:  Jason Midyette [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:35 am ]
Post subject:  Photos of AT&SF 44942 and 48259
Thank you everyone for the replies and information. Now we know that AT&SF 44942 is a BX-W built in 1910 and 48259 is a BX-X built in 1912.

Both cars were retired and moved to their present location (north of Atchison Kansas) around 1935-1940. (from what I could read of the lettering on 48259, its last weigh and repack dates were in 1935). The cars were made into grain storage bins and a barn was built over and around them.

Times have now changed and the barn is in the way, current landowner wants it gone, but does not want to just destroy the cars.

Jason Midyette

Attachments:
File comment: AT&SF 44942
IMG_3009 (500x375).jpg
IMG_3009 (500x375).jpg [ 135.4 KiB | Viewed 8577 times ]
File comment: The end of AT&SF 44942
IMG_3008 (375x500).jpg
IMG_3008 (375x500).jpg [ 160.08 KiB | Viewed 8577 times ]
File comment: The barn. Note the ends of the boxcars peeking out
IMG_3017 (500x375).jpg
IMG_3017 (500x375).jpg [ 113.12 KiB | Viewed 8577 times ]
Author:  Jason Midyette [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:49 am ]
Post subject:  More photos
Both cars have had their steel underframes removed, along with grab irons and other metal bits. Wood bodies are in amazingly good shape, having been mostly under cover and up off the ground (cars are sitting on brick pillars, about 18" above the ground).

Cars are available and in need of a good home. Landowner is enthusiastic about seeing them saved. That said, it is desired that they be gone by March of 2016. If anyone is interested, PM me. Cars will be relatively easy to get at until it gets muddy.

Jason Midyette

- as a side note, every bit of information I can find on line on these cars (Santa Fe BX-W to BX-Z), shows them with the Santa Fe Herald , reporting marks and car number etc, on the right side of the car. (As 49131 at Orange Empire is presently painted) 44942 and 48259 buck this trend as such lettering is on the left side of the car, as seen below. Did the Santa Fe change the lettering layout between 1910 and 1930? (probably basic info for a Santa Fe fan, but my wealth of trivial tidbits is fairly much limited to Colorado narrow gauge cars)

Attachments:
File comment: AT&SF 48259's lettering. Worn but mostly readable in the right light.
IMG_3011 (500x375).jpg
IMG_3011 (500x375).jpg [ 121.84 KiB | Viewed 8565 times ]
File comment: several layers of repack dates on 48259
IMG_3014 (500x375).jpg
IMG_3014 (500x375).jpg [ 157.93 KiB | Viewed 8565 times ]
File comment: AT&SF 48259
IMG_3010 (500x375).jpg
IMG_3010 (500x375).jpg [ 118.55 KiB | Viewed 8565 times ]
Author:  Les Beckman [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed -photos of found cars a
Jason -

"Landowner is enthusiastic about seeing them saved." Does this mean he would donate them to museums or private owners?

Les
Author:  Jason Midyette [ Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Santa fe wood boxcar info needed -photos of found cars a
Les Beckman wrote:
Jason -

"Landowner is enthusiastic about seeing them saved." Does this mean he would donate them to museums or private owners?

Les


Yes, cars are "free for the taking"

Jason Midyette
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