Great Northern Boxcar No. 138660

In 2004, the BNSF donated boxcars 236407, 236660, and 375845 to the Minnesota Transportation Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The boxcars were built in 1967 by Pacific Car & Foundry, and were delivered to the Great Northern in the then-current "Big Sky Blue." Their original numbers were 138407, 138660, and 138687, respectively.

Having door hardware damage, and being very close to mandatory retirement age, they had been set aside for scrap.

MTM had previously approached the BNSF about a locomotive donation, and received a donation of SD9 6234. A few weeks later, BNSF called and asked if MTM would also be interested in some ex-GN boxcars. Of course!

Former GN boxcar No. 138660 rolled out of the paint shop and into the sunlight on Saturday, February 19th.  Photos by Eric Hopp.

Restoration:
236407 and 375835 had the worst damage to the doors. MTM shop forces made sufficient repairs to use the doors on one side. Those two cars will stay at the Jackson Street site. 236660 was in the best shape, and will go to the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway site.

17 year old member Ted Hotvet, meantime, was looking for an Eagle Scout project. He wanted to repaint something (for looks and preservation). 236660 was suggested, and the project soon became official.

Fellow Boy Scouts power-washed the car, and cleaned off loose paint. Fellow MTM members helped with steel repairs. Ted's father, John Hotvet, hand-cut all stencils, based on "prototype" photos and the car's current stencil data.

The paint is a PPG industrial catalyzed urethane product. It was computer color matched to GN "Big Sky Blue" samples that had been sealed inside passenger car 1096 since the GN painted it.

Pictured from left to right, John Hotvet, Ted Hotvet and Eric Hopp.

The author, and fellow MTM member, showed Ted & John how to use the paint spray guns. At times all three guns were spraying silmutaneously.

GN 138660 rolled out of the paint shop and into the sunlight on Saturday, February 19th.

(Eric Hopp)