12-26-2010, 11:29 PM
I know that through the 70's, it was quite common place for lumber dealers to receive lumber in 40ft box cars. In 1969, when I first worked for the F&C (FCIN) and Lowe's lumber was stocking their new facility (located on the L&N no less) we handled all their lumber for them. Came off the Southern in Georgetown, KY and they would have as many as 10 cars in the Frankfort yard at one time. Each car was hand unloaded - piece by piece on to waiting trucks and then hauled the 5 miles or so to their facility.
We had 3 other lumber companies in town and they all received lumber in 40ft box cars. But during the late 70's they became fewer and fewer, with most lumber moving in 50ft single, double and combination door cars. When the L&N constructed Lowe's private track in early 1970, pretty much all their lumber came in on 60ft bulkhead flats or 50ft box cars.
Through the 70's, the distilleries would occasionally receive grain in 40ft box cars too, but the majority of their grain was already received in 100ton capacity L&N Big Blue covered hoppers. You'd also see 80 and 100 ton capacity covered hoppers from other roads that contained rye and malt (SOO/CNW/CBQ/RI to name a few). Some of the 40ft cars loaded with grain that I recall were RI, CNW, FDDM, NP, CBQ and GN. I recall the GN 40ft box had a plug door, but with small doors near the top of the door where the grain was loaded - eliminating the need for grain doors in the car. I think that Athearn made or does make models of these 40ft grain box cars. Oh yes, when they did receive grain in box cars, they used a vacuum hose to unload them.
Speaking of the IPD cars, the LNAC had a large number of 40ft box cars in their fleet. In fact all the cars they started with were 40ft box cars (100 as I recall). The 1987 ORER shows they still had 85 of them (9%) in service out of a total of 920 cars - the rest were 50ft XM, 52ft RBL's with Evans Dual Air Packs and 52ft All-Door cars. I recently acquired a model of one of their 40ft box cars that I'll be operating on my ISL, as I remember seeing all their assorted cars in service and on the LNAC. Funny thing, few of their cars were actually ever returned empty to them at Corydon, although they liked to keep a few on hand for shipping outbound furniture.
We had 3 other lumber companies in town and they all received lumber in 40ft box cars. But during the late 70's they became fewer and fewer, with most lumber moving in 50ft single, double and combination door cars. When the L&N constructed Lowe's private track in early 1970, pretty much all their lumber came in on 60ft bulkhead flats or 50ft box cars.
Through the 70's, the distilleries would occasionally receive grain in 40ft box cars too, but the majority of their grain was already received in 100ton capacity L&N Big Blue covered hoppers. You'd also see 80 and 100 ton capacity covered hoppers from other roads that contained rye and malt (SOO/CNW/CBQ/RI to name a few). Some of the 40ft cars loaded with grain that I recall were RI, CNW, FDDM, NP, CBQ and GN. I recall the GN 40ft box had a plug door, but with small doors near the top of the door where the grain was loaded - eliminating the need for grain doors in the car. I think that Athearn made or does make models of these 40ft grain box cars. Oh yes, when they did receive grain in box cars, they used a vacuum hose to unload them.
Speaking of the IPD cars, the LNAC had a large number of 40ft box cars in their fleet. In fact all the cars they started with were 40ft box cars (100 as I recall). The 1987 ORER shows they still had 85 of them (9%) in service out of a total of 920 cars - the rest were 50ft XM, 52ft RBL's with Evans Dual Air Packs and 52ft All-Door cars. I recently acquired a model of one of their 40ft box cars that I'll be operating on my ISL, as I remember seeing all their assorted cars in service and on the LNAC. Funny thing, few of their cars were actually ever returned empty to them at Corydon, although they liked to keep a few on hand for shipping outbound furniture.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"