[RITSlist] Qusetions on Rock Island 50-foot Pullman Standard Boxcars

[Jim Eager]

Eric Miller wrote:
> 1. Does anyone have any photos of the blue Pullman
> Standard cars, number series starting with 301800?

RR / SERIES / QTY/ AAR / LOT / BLT / CUFT / NOTES
ROCK 301800-302249  450  XF  1042  P-S 7=8-79  5344  TO CNW  
718000-718450
W&OV 1-50  50  XF  1042  P-S 8-79  5344  WHITE, DIVERTED FROM ROCK  
302250-302299, TO CNW 718450-549
W&OV 51-100  50  XF  1043  P-S 8-79  5344  WHITE, DIVERTED FROM ROCK  
302300-302349, TO CNW 718450-549

I would appear that relatively few cars in the series were painted  
blue before they switched to white, perhaps the first 150 to 175 cars  
or so.

Blue cars:
CNW 718045
CNW 718330 (ex-ROCK 302XXX)
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=16233
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718007adk.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718009amh.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718057agd.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718144amh.jpg

White cars:
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=28091
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718191k.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718262amh.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718309akg.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718311k.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718324akg.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718333ags.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718334ajs.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718340ava.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718402akg.jpg
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718438akg.jpg
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=5518
http://gelwood.railfan.net/cnw/cnw718486amg.jpg
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=27230

> 2. Why did the Rock Island change the boxcar scheme to
> white at the very end?

I have no idea why they switched to white during a production order,  
but it wasn't exactly the smartest color to paint a rail car, that's  
for sure.

> 3. Were there any other orders for more boxcars
> pending as the railroad was liquidated; i.e. were
> there supposed to be more Pullman Standard cars in
> later number series (303000)?

The Railway Age tally of cars ordered in 1978 list three RI car  
orders that I know were not delivered:
68 boxcars from Evans, no date specified
200 boxcars from FMC for delivery in 10=12-80 (presumably more of  
FMC's 5347 design, Athearn's RTR model)
1250 covered hoppers from FMC for delivery in 1=3-81 (presumable  
these would have been FMC's 4700 cuft design made by Athearn/MDC)

The only cars on order listed in the 1979 Rwy Age order tally were  
the above 550 boxcars from Pullman. It's possible that there were  
other cars on order for delivery in 1980-81 that were either not  
built or were diverted to other railroads, just as the last order of  
GP38-2s were, but you'd need official railroad or builder records to  
know for sure. For example, I suspect that the last 500 100t open  
hoppers from Greenville (701300-701799) were diverted to P&LE  
80500-80999, but I can not confirm it. I also suspect that not all of  
the 800 301000-301799 CNCF-built boxcars were delivered, and that  
some were diverted to various US shortlines instead, but again I can  
not confirm this.

The 1/80 ORER, the last issue that RI is listed in, has an entry for  
800 4000 cuft covered hoppers numbered 805350-806149, which AFAIK  
were not delivered. These sound like they may have been a Portec design.

Also, the ORER lists the Thrall 4750 cuft covered hoppers (Atlas  
Trainman model) as 801000-801499, but the series only ran to 801424,  
with four additional cars listed separately under 801520-801523 (429  
cars total, as reported in Rwy Age).

BTW, here is some data on the other ROCK boxcars series that you  
mentioned:

ROCK 300000-300499  500  XM  17905  FMC 8=9-78  5347  TO CNW 716000-499

ROCK 300500-300699  200  XF  15556  USEX BI	8=10-78  5295	  TO CNW  
717000-198
ROCK 300700-300999  300  XM  15556  USEX BI	11-78  5295  TO CNW  
717200-299 & BM 300800-999

ROCK 301000-301799  <800*  XF  ?  CNCF 4=6-79  5000  *Not all  
delivered, TO GTW 598200-598390

Jim Eager <jeager at sympatico.ca>
Toronto, Ontario, Canada



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