Oldest surviving freight equipment ??

Matt Bumgarner · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:31 pm

Is there a census of the oldest existing freight equipment in the US? We have uncovered some physical evidence and paperwork that indicates pretty convincingly that the Lawndale boxcar that we are restoring is a former Chester & Lenoir Narrow Gauge boxcar, which could date the car into the 1870's. So, yeah, we are curious!

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner
Alexander Chapter-NRHS

scottychaos · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:22 pm

Erik Ledbetter wrote:

For freight I'll nominate the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Iron Boxcars No. 17000 and 17001,
built by the B&O Railroad at Mt. Clare about 1863, also in the B&O Museum, substantially original.

from:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1952&view=previous

Scot

Randy Hees · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:30 pm

If we only look at narrow gauge, the SPCRR has a 24' 8 ton narrow gauge box car (body) from the Monterey and Salinas Valley, built by the Carter Brothers in Sept 1874. We believe this is the oldest narrow gauge car preserved.

There is a believable report of a body in the wild in Colorado, originally from the Kansas Central, later used on the UP owned Denver South Park and descendents which was built in August 1874.

There are remains from a Nevada Central Billmyer and Small box car from 1878 held by in a private collection in Oregon.

The SPCRR also has 3 1880 Oregonian Carter 10 ton boxcars, as well as the iron of a Carter 10 ton SPC flat, built before 1885, and a complete Carter 1887 15 ton flat car

Randy