The 49 mile Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific ceased operations in 1984 and RS&P 2-6-2 #5 is on display in Snyder, Texas. There was a recent entry on the Ahead of the Torch website of a Missouri Pacific steel bodied cupola caboose being placed next to the surviving ex-Katy depot in Belton, Texas. What interested me more than the caboose, was another piece of equipment located there; a 40' steel boxcar. The boxcar is apparently a survivor of the Belton Railroad which was operated from 1961 until certain of its assets were sold in 1991. It operated 7 miles of line between Belton and Temple, Texas. Its original incorporation included two freight cars which, from various sources on the internet that I have seen, lead me to believe they were both 40' steel boxcars. From the lettering showing through the fading paint on the boxcar there in Belton, I believe that this car was very likely purchased by the Belton Railroad from the RS&P back when the Belton Railroad started in operation. A very rare piece of surviving equipment from the RS&P, a not-to-well known railroad. If anyone has further info on the boxcar in Belton, including its original RS&P number, I'd be appreciative in hearing from them. Thanks.

Les

Car is RS&P 30. On 30 seconds of examination in the dark I couldnt see that it carried a Belton number. The RS&P number was on the end. Caboose is MP 13440. It was after sunset when I was there to look, but will get back in next week or so with a camera in daylight.

Bradley Linda
Waco, TX

Bradley -

Thanks very much for the info on the boxcar. The references I found on the internet, showed RS&P numbers 31 and 32 on cars and now you say that this is RS&P #30. So I now know that the RS&P had at least 3 of these steam-era 40' steel boxcars. Wonder how many more were in the RS&P "fleet"? Looking forward to your future photos.

Les

Here is another RS&P artifact.

Lufkin-Texas Forestry Museum
American Model C Log Loader C/N 317 Steam 1909/10
Carter-Kelley Lbr. Co. Manning, TX
W. T. Carter & Brother Camden, TX 1935
TFM 1970
http://www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=101092

John T. -

Thanks for the photo and history of the log loader. What makes you think it was from the Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific?

Les

Les- here's a photo of RS&P 30 from today. On close inspection it has some serious corrosion issues on the center sill and the bottoms of both sides. Would I be correct in assuming from the looks that this was originally an outside braced car that was rebuilt? The last visible COT&S and reweigh was 12-62.

Bradley Linda
Waco, TX

The car in the photos has all the earmarks of a steel rebuild of a USRA double sheathed boxcar. These USRA designed cars were the last big fleet of wood framed boxcars, although they were built with steel underframes and ends. In the thirties when these cars were due for major rebuilding, the Youngstown Steel Door Co. offered prefabricated steel sides to convert them to all steel cars and enlarge them to the then current interior dimensions, increasing the height by a foot and the width by three or four inches. Note the new sides are cantilevered out from the original side sills and the sides have an offset at the ends to match the original end panels, to which has been added an additional top panel. Some of these rebuilds retained their original height, while others had a flat panel added between the middle and top panels. This treatment of the rebuilt end can be used to determine which railroad did the rebuilding, my guess is the Santa Fe. This car has also had the roof replaced with an all steel roof.

An interesting car, not many (any?) of which made it into preservation.

Bradley and Dennis -

I think you are right about this car being a rebuild of a wood boxcar. I have looked for a prototype photo of the car when the RS&P had it in service, but the only one I have found on the internet was on the Fallen Flags website and haven't been able to figure out how to post it here to RyPN. Which is a shame because the cars had a remarkably colorful paint scheme when in regular service. Hopefully the folks there in Belton, Texas will paint the car that way. As long as the car remains stationary, the center sill and side panel corrosion problems can be addressed, and the car made into a welcome attraction to visitors.

Les

Here is a flat bottom wooden gondola that has been at the Texas State Railroad for many years. It’s numbered RSP 125287. It appears to be a possible conversion from a wooden box car.

Gents -

Although I couldn't figure out how to post the prototype photo of the boxcar, I was able to find a photo of an HO model of the car that Atlas put out way back in 2009:

http://www.archive.atlasrr.com/Images/H ... 4-1_TQ.jpg

The colors shown on the model, are the same as on the protype car. Also note that Atlas confirms this was a model of a rebuilt wood car.

donaldcurtis -

Thanks very much for the info and photos of the RS&P wood gondola at the Texas State Railroad. Nice to know that there is another artifact from the RS&P. Hopefully the TSR will take a bit better care of the rare preserved car.

Les