Southern Railway Equipment Drawings and Photographs - Volume 1, Book 1 - 40' All-Steel Box Cars

Page 22

CNO&TP 40-Ton 40' 6" Steel Automobile Box Cars272000-272499Built by Pressed Steel Car Co. 1935. Card Record F-85

In 1935 Southern Railway System received its first all-steel box cars,CNO&TP series 272000-272499. These 500 cars from Pressed Steel CarCompany (PSC) were 40-ton, 40’ 6” inside-length, steel-sheathed,double-door automobile box cars, with an inside height of 10’ 4”. GeneralArrangement Drawing SF-1139 shows these cars had construction featuresof both the 1932 ARA box car design and earlier 1920 box car design. Theside to the right of the door opening, with five riveted steel panels, istypical of the 9’ 1” to 9’ 4” inside height 1932 ARA box car design as wellas the 10’ inside height 1937 AAR box car design.

Several series of composite (wood and steel) construction, steel under-frame (SUF) “Automobile” cars were in service on the Southern whenthese all-steel cars joined the roster. Shipping assembled autos was animportant business for the railroad with loads originating at Ford andGeneral Motors assembly plants in Atlanta, Norfolk and Louisville.

Cars 272000-272499 were purchased from Pressed Steel Car Co. inMcKees Rocks, PA under two AFEs (Authorization For Expenditure);6228 in May, 1935 and AFE 6315 in December, 1935.

The minor price differences were most likely caused by variations intransportation and inspection costs and the cost of “specalities” used onthe cars. Specalities include items such as the brake gear, couplers andtruck components purchased from the carbuilder or from third parties.On new car orders, specality items could be ordered by the carbuilder,ordered directly by the Southern for delivery to the carbuilder or shippedfrom the railroad's new or used inventory.

Southern accounting records describe the cars as:“Automobile box, all steel body and underframe, 80000 lb. capacity, Lt.Wt. 53700 lb. 33” C.I. Wheels, Journals 5" x 9", Hutchins Steel Roof,Cast Steel Trucks, Westinghouse Air Brake, Miner Draft Gear, 42' 3"long, 9' 9-5/8" wide, Equipped with Evans Auto Loader for 4 cars, PressedSteel Car Co. Builders”.

All were delivered with Evans “Type A” auto loaders by Pressed Steel CarCo. but most did not operate in that configuration past 1949. AFE 8539removed auto racks from many of the 495 272000-272499 cars still onthe CNO&TP roster in at that time.

New racks for carrying auto bodies rather than completely assembled carswere installed in cars 272001, 002, 005, 013, 019, 038, 040, 043, 049,061, 064, 070, 091, 100, 121, 125, 127, 164, 168, 199, 207, 224, 226,228, 230, 233, 234, 245, 247, 250, 253, 279, 286, 297, 306, 321, 325,327, 337, 363, 367, 371, 374, 396, 399, 403, 406, 413, 434, 439, 444,451, 453, 458, 466, 470, 472, 475, 487 and 272492 under AFE 8635 in1950. One more car in this group, 272080 received racks in 1953 and in1954 272334 had an auto body rack installed. Cars 272030, 035, 102,212, 222, 254, 261, 366, 404. 429, 469, 474, 476 and 272498 were thelast to be adapted for auto body service, in 1955.Virtually all of theses auto body racks appear to have been removed from1956 to 1959 so the cars were not in that service very long. (A typicalpractice because auto body styles changed constantly as did parts supply

and assembly plant requirements.) Many 50' box cars were beingequipped for auto parts service in this same time period so the need forthese 40' cars would have dropped off considerably.

In 1950, AFE 8635 installed tractor decks and chains in cars 272057 and272147. Some of the cars began their third decade of service by beingequipped with “Damage Free” (DF) loading equipment.. In 1956 DFhardware was installed in 272014, 233, 306, 314, 334, 337, 352, 382 and272466. Car 272226 added DF equipment in 1958. In 1959 DF Loaderswere applied to: 272070, 001, 184, 198, 216, 222, 239, 245, 259, 260,280, 311, 366, 370, 384, 432, 494 and 272498. In 1960 cars 272062,066, 213, 251, 319, 361, 363, 364, 377, 401, 440 and 272445 receivedDF Loaders.

This is one of the CNO&TP 272000-272499 series cars built by Pressed Steel Car Co. in 1935 taken after the car was reweighed at Hayne Shops in May of 1953,probably when it was there to have its auto racks removed. We know that 272004 remained in service until after 1962. Although the car sports the second (1945)version of the SR Monogram, this is the third stencil scheme used on these cars. The first SR freight car drawing showing the monogram (for 1937 AAR design boxcars) were not produced until 1938. “As built”, the cars did not have the monogram and “AUTOMOBILE” was stenciled approximately where “THE” in themonogram is painted. This car would have had the automobile stencil painted over when the racks were removed. Photographer and location unknown. Neg. T0169, Bob's Photo, Ansonia, CT (Used by permission)

CNO&TP 40-ton 40' 6" Steel Automobile Box Cars 272000-272499

Card Record F-85 (SR File 1-2714 for spec. F-120 and SF File 1-2724 forspec. F-126) is in the SRHA collection, it shows for following drawingsfor cars built to specs F-120, F-121 and F-126. Cars 272000-272499 werebuilt to specification F-120. Drawings for this group of cars include:

Card List F-85CNO&TP 272000-272499

Diagram Book Page 30-F-89-E-43 Axle Marking27-F-61 Journal Bearing PackingSF-1131* 12" FiguresSF-1139* General ArrangementSF-1140* Brake ArrangementSF-1141 Steel DetailsSF-1142 Underframe ArrangementSF-1220* UnderframeSF-1158* MonogramSF-1159* MonogramSF-1221* MonogramSF-1222* MonogramSF-2286 2 1/2" CU FTSF-2298 Draft Gear ArrangementSF-2315* Truck Arrangement.SF-2321* Auto Loader Installation DiagramSF-2322* End ArrangementSF-2323* “Dreadnaught” Steel End ArrangementSF-2324 Wood DetailsSF-2384 Method of Obtaining Additional Width Between Front

Arms (Evans auto racks)SF-2870* Running Board “Morton”SF-3409 1" RPKDSF-3421 Coupler Striking PlateSF-3444* 3 1/2" FiguresSF-3460 Door Starter BufferSF-3463 StencilingSF-3464 Truck Side FrameSF-3465 Brake beamSF-3466* Hand Brake Detail, MinerSF-3467 LaddersSF-3478 Method of Remodeling Auto Rack FramesSF-3482 “Interlox” Floor ClipsSF-3485 Location & Detail of Floor Pocket PlatesSF-3494 Auto Rack Leg LockSF-3502* StencilSF-3532* Miner Hand BrakeSF-3908 Mod of Crossbearer Cover PlatesSF-4006 AxleSF-4021 Brake PinSF-4041 Brake ShoeSF-4681 Brake Lever PinSF-4693 Grab Iron, End SillSF-4696 Grab IronSF-4876 Brake Lever Connection

SF-4890 FlooringSF-5075* 12" SOUTHERNSF-5076 8" AUTOMOBILESF-5090* 3 1/2" Road InitialsSF-5095* Hutchins Dry Lading RoofSF-5096* Door ArrangementSF-5097 Superstructure, RoofSF-5102* Details of Auto RackSF-5209 Steel DetailsSF-7099 Side Sill ReinforcementSF-20000* StencilingSF-20106* StencilingSF-40108 Brake Lever AnchorSF-40115 Journal Bearing WedgeSF-40120 Brake Cylinder Push RodSF-40134 King PinSF-40145 Brake LeverSF-40149 Journal BearingSF-40194 2" BLTSF-40211 Brake Foot-Board BracketSF-40212 BolsterSF-40244 Brake CylinderSF-40265 Draft gear Follower PlateSF-40289 Brake Rod Jaw, Center & TopSF-40291 Grab Iron, RoofSF-40311 Brake Lever GuideSF-40314 Coupler YokeSF-40365 Sill StepSF-40371 Coupler KeySF-40401* 3" CAPYSF-40402* 3" LD LMTSF-40403* 3" LT WTSF-40404* 3" FiguresSF-40405 3" SOUTHERNSF-40406 2 1/2" EW & etc.SF-40407* 1 1/4" FiguresSF-40416 Side bearing, BraceSF-40417 Side bearing, BodySF-40421 Draft Gear CarrierSF-40424 Running Board, LongitudinalSF-40430 Brake Connection Chain& ClevisSF-40435 Running Board BracketSF-40436 Door HandleSF-40447* 2" FiguresSF-40448* 2" SOU RWYSF-40450* 3" NEWSF-40467 Brake Beam HangerSF-40472 Angle Cock HolderSF-40514 Door Starter Closing ArmSF-40515 Door Starter Closing LeverSF-40532 Door Starter Lever FulcrumSF-40536 Door StopSF-40540 Brake Lever Badge PlateSF-40541 Brake Lever Guide

SF-40542 Truck Side Frame MarkingSF-40543 Auto Loader Operating Cable HandleSF-40544 Brake Beam Strut KeySF-40545* Auto Loader StencilingSF-40546 Push Pole PocketSF-40547 Uncoupling Lever BracketSF-40548 Uncoupling LeverSF-40550 Running Board Latitudinal SupportSF-40551 Routing and Defect CardboardSF-40553 Brake Release Rod GuideSF-40552 Plackard CardboardSF-40555 Brake Release RodSF-40556 Brake StepSF-40559 Brake ChainSF-40562 Brake Rod Hand brakeSF-40564 Grab Iron BracketsSF-40565 End Lining RetainerSF-40567 Flooring, End BoardsSF-40619 CouplerSF-40620 Hand Brake

Drawing shown with “*” are included in this series of SR Drawing and Photo books.Drawings marked with “#” are used with these cars but were not included in the originalCard List. Not all drawings are listed.

Drawings that do not use the “SF” (freight car) prefix, such as 9-E-43,predate that drawing designation system. The earliest “SF” drawing in theSRHA collection is from 1906. SF-1 dates from the 1950s but it may bethe first time numbers below SF-100 were assigned rather than a reuse of adrawing number. Only a very few examples of two drawings with the samedesignation have been found: all are thought to be errors. No comprehen-sive index of Southern Railway drawings is known to exist. The first digitof a drawing number denoted the size of the drawing, all numbers in asequence may not have been used. For example, when an SF drawingseries was filled, the next drawing in that size would simply have anotherzero added. With that system, SF-1999 would be followed by SF-10000-SF-10999.

By the late 1960s, few carbuilder's drawings were traced or given a South-ern title block and drawing number. There are hundreds of freight cardrawings in the SRHA collection that do not use the SF prefix. Filing orfinding drawings among those microfilm cards can be difficult because thevarious carbuilders' and parts vendors' drawing numbering systems arecompletely different and virtually defy logical cataloguing or filing.

Southern Railway Equipment Drawings and Photographs - Volume 1, Book 1 - 40' All-Steel Box Cars

Page 24

SF-3502 Stenciling August 23, 1938

Cars 272000-272499 were delivered prior to the use of the Southernmonogram on freight cars. A photo of 272999, with no monogram, is onpage 142 the Kalmbach Publishing Co. reprint of the 1940 Car Builder'sCyclopedia. SF-3502 represents the second stencil scheme for 40' all steeldouble door auto cars 272000-272999. Card Record F-85 lists SF-3463 asthe original stencil drawing for these cars.

SF-3502 introduced the monogram to these 40' all steel cars when itreplaced SF-3463 in August of 1938, about two months after the first boxcar stencil drawing showing the monogram was drawn for the initial orderof 1937 AAR design box cars.

SF-3463 is one of the few Southern Railway freight car drawings that isnot in the SRHA collection in either original linen or microfilm formats.We can speculate that because the original position of the 8“ “AUTOMO-

BILE” lettering (SF-5076) was lower and more centered on the car side, theSF-3463 linen was modified and reissued as SF-3502 in 1938.

The 12" size of the SOUTHERN road name (SF-5075) and road numberlettering (SF-1131) used on these cars had been the standard for house carlettering since the turn of the century. The first revision of drawing SF-20000 in December, 1957 (two pages over) changed the sizes of SOUTH-

ERN to 18" and the road number to 14".

Changing the size of letter and number stencils was not simply a case ofexpanding or reducing existing drawings. Individual drawings were madefor each size and the characteristics of the letters and numbers; propor-tions, widths and other details were quite often changed to reflect thelarger or smaller space available. The 12" SOUTHERN road namelettering is shown on SF-5075. The 12" numerals are shown on SF-1131.The 14" numbers and 18" lettering will be included in Southern RailwayEquipment Drawings & Photos, Vol II, 50' Steel Box Cars.

Note that the individual, full size, drawings for all letters and the SRmonograms were used to produce the stencils (sheet zinc during thisperiod) used by carbuilders and shops. Lettering shown on drawings suchas SF-20000 were typically done free hand to show where the stencils wereto be placed on the cars. In many cases, the lettering is not particularlyaccurate, or neatly drawn. It was intended to be used only for placementand as a reference to specific lettering drawings.

CNO&TP 40-ton 40' 6" Steel Automobile Box Cars 272000-272499, continued

The first available record of retirements for the 272000-272499 carsshows 272695 as being retired destroyed (wrecked) in 1946 with 272300,and 272165 retired - destroyed in 1948. Cars taken off the books due towrecks in 1950 and 1951 included 272336 and 272372. 1954 saw272158, 119, 128, 317 and 272471 retired followed by 272420 and272423 in 1955, 272454 in 1956, 272160 and 272407 in 1957 and272040 in 1958. Cars 272025 and 272034 were removed from theaccounting records in 1959. 1960 saw the end of cars 272039, 173, 249,272258 (returned to service in 1962), 272278, 339, 341, 402, 413 and272467 in 1960 and 272039, 121, 139 and 272311 in 1961.

A July 25, 1960 Hayne Shop memo authorizes scrapping of all 272000series cars identified as being heavy bad order. The results of that memocan be seen in the 1962 retirements that included; 272021, 022, 031,037, 049, 051, 053, 068, 105, 107, 131, 187, 203, 217, 225, 240, 244,262, 289, 308, 313, 335, 341, 397, 403, 415, 433, 438, 473, 479 and272490.

Note that official retirement dates, the source of this information, do notcoincide with the date a piece of equipment was actually scrapped. Theaccounting changes could have been recorded when a car was condemnedbut not yet scrapped or may not have been changed until some time afterthe car was actually cut up. Because of this accounting time lag, cars“coming back” from condemned or destroyed status were not uncommon;the accounting entry was simply reversed. For example, if Hayne or Costershop needed a car for nonrevenue service or to be rebuilt, they would goto their scrap lines and find a suitable candidate. If the records were notkept up to date, scrapped cars still “on the books” would eventually lead tomemos and teletype messages asking Operating and Mechanical Depart-ment people if they had seen, or had records of that piece of equipment.Although not common, “retired not located” entries can be found in theSouthern's accounting books. An exact inventory of a railroad's capitalaccounts was very important. Freight rates and tariffs were regulated bythe ICC and were the result of how much a railroad had invested inequipment and physical plant.

All data from CNO&TP Form 588 Sub-Schedule for Years 1940-1964 isfrom railroad accounting records in the SRHA Archives.

CNO&TP 40-ton 40' 6" Steel Automobile Box Cars 272000-272499

Southern Railway Equipment Drawings and Photographs - Volume 1, Book 1 - 40' All-Steel Box Cars

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SF-20000 Stenciling September 16, 1957

SF-3502, on the previous pages, shows the SOUTHERN road name and carnumber in 12" letters and figures. That drawing, made in 1938, contin-ued the practice shown in the earliest house car stencil drawings in theSRHA collection; the road name is stenciled to the left of the door open-ing.

SF-20000 was drawn in September, 1957. It shows the road name andnumber to the right of the double doors and the 5' diameter monogram tothe left. This “reversed” stencil scheme was required because the newlettering changed the width of the “SOUTHERN" lettering from 8' to 12',more space than was available on the left side of these double door cars.The first version of SF-20000 shows the new, 18", road name size. Revi-sion “A” made in December, 1957, changed the road number from 12" to14" and the spacing between the name and number from 12" to 10".

(Note both the 3-25-58 and 4-11-58 memos from A.M. Carey and L.Stanley Crane (reproduced on the next page) mistakenly attribute the“flipped” stencil scheme to the road number size change. The numeralswere not changed until Revision “A” so we know that was not the primaryreason for SF-20000 being drawn.)

This A.M. Cary to R.H. Hamilton memo dated August 16, 1957 was writtenimmediately before the first versions of SF-20000, for cars 272000-272499 and SF-20002 for 50-ton 50'-6" box cars 40000-40174 were drawn. It explains the reason forthe “reversed” lettering on double door SOUTHERN box cars about as concisely aspossible.

Photographs of any Southern box car showing the “post-monogram - pre block”lettering stencil scheme are hard to find. This February, 1959 photo of 272189 wastaken soon after the car was repainted and reweighed at Hayne that same month. Themonogram was removed from the standard stencil scheme in October, 1958 and theblock style lettering was introduced in January, 1960. No new box cars weredelivered during that interval so only repaints or wreck rebuilds got this stencilscheme.

Photographer unknown, Fayetteville, NC 2-22-59,Used by permission, Bob's Photo Ansonia, CT Photo FSOU 36

CNO&TP 40-ton 40' 6" Steel Automobile Box Cars 272000-272499