Postwar Streamlined Car Durability

[NW_611]

I've heard over the years that a Budd corrugated stainless-steel car will, with proper care, last essentially forever. The Canadian Pacific and VIA Rail have demonstrated that. What I don't know is the relative service lifetime/durability etc. of similar cars built in the postwar era. I call them, for lack of a better term, the 'slab-sided' type. Examples include those used on the N&W's Powhatan Arrow, the Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow, and I think the PRR's 1949 re-equipping of the Broadway Limited.

Since I don't know exactly what made the Budd cars so durable (something to do with the shot welding, I understand) so I can't guess about the other types of cars made in the postwar era. I'm reasonably sure that Pullman-Standard and ACF were the primary manufacturers of these sort.

Comments appreciated!

[M636C]

No, the shot welding was just a means of holding them together. What makes the cars last is the almost complete absence of corrosion due to the use of stainless steel. The flat sided cars from Pullman Standard were generally mild steel (or cor-ten, a more corrosion resistant steel), and the thin sheets making these up need to be replaced every ten years or so, unless very great care is taken with repainting. The big problem is internal, where condensing steam from the heating caused accelerated corrosion. ACF built many cars, including many for UP out of aluminium, but using steel for the frame, Dissimilar metal corrosion was the inevitable result, causing accelerated deterioration of the aluminium.

So all stainless cars, built by Budd (or later by Pullman Standard) being corrosion resistant, lasted better than anything else around, and still do!

M636C

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

M636C is right, stainless steel is virtually rust and corrosion resistant, and its use may well be Budd's major contribution to passenger car construction. There was an article in TRAINS by one of the engineering consultants who assisted Amtrak in selecting their first batch of cars from the previous railroad owners, and he said essentially the same thing. Cars of all-stainless construction were in excellent shape, while the others showed a fair amount of deterioration. The worst cases were cars of LAHT steel construction with stainless steel sheathing. The space between the sheathing and the car sides trapped water and the inner car sides were badly rusted.

[artpeterson]

Regarding the original CB&Q Budd-built gallery cars of 1950, the opinion at Metra at one point was that there was no reason those cars couldn't keep running for 50 or more years, as long as periodic overhauls/rebuildings were undertaken. Past 50 years the opinion was that the trucks would have to be replaced, but that the carbodies/superstructure would be fine. A real tribute to the carbuilder!

[PBenham]

The killer for most passenger cars built after WWII is corrosion of the main sill.(that is, the center line frame of a car.) Stainless bodies will last essentially for ever barring structural damage, but the interior can get moldy, the center sill will corrode, as will the end posts, anticlimber/ end buffer (same part of a car different terminology) and draft gear which were generally not stainless, but were less vulnerable to corrosive damage, since they were thicker than side body panels. Those beams could be heavily rusted on the surface, but the frame could be magnifluxed and be judged to be sound, even if it was corroded on the surface. This applies to wheel sets and truck components as well. Some cars are running now in their 55th year of service for Amtrak, and they'd better last for another 55 years since there is no way[:(] Amtrak can replace them now, or in the immediate future!

[passengerfan]

California State Rail;road Museum still has Budd built 36 seat Dining Car 1474 COCHITA built for the first SUPER CHIEF in 1937 and its looks as if it just rolled out the factory doors. The NAVAJO a sleeper lounge observation from the same 1937 SUPER CHIEF today resides at Golden Colorado in the Museum their. It too looks as good as new. Santa Fe also purchased the first stainless steel full size coach from Budd built in January 1936 the 52 seats numbered 3070. After serving the AT&SF it was sold to I believe the NJ Transit or one of its predecessors where it operated for an additional number of years. Unfortunately this car was scrapped to bad. Take a look at the original Pioneer Zephyr at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry built in 1934 and restored a few years ago to its original as delivered condition it truly is worth seeing.