On an older style flat car with the vertical brake wheel rod type, what is the approximate height of the wheel above the car floor?
Cedarwoodron
Here's two examples where you can gauge the height of the brake staff by comparing it to the 33" wheel diameter.
http://www.billspennsyphotos.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=169350880
This car is a modified flat with wood sides so I guess it could be considered a gondola, but it looks like it started life as a flat car.
http://www.billspennsyphotos.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=169350884
Somewhere around here I have photos of old flat cars showing that the brake staff is lowered so the wheel is relatively flush with the deck so a load can overhang the end or the brake wheel can be out of the way for loading.
{edit:} Found it...
Those have an even shorter staff (20-24 inches?) so the bottom of the staff clears the top of the rail.
Have Fun, Ed
Scaling that dimension from a drawing from a Car Builders' Cyclopedia of a PRR F30A, I get 33".
Ed
They varied alot, about 3' was average on both boxcars and flat but different roads did different things. They picked that average height because of a mans reach when standing. I have seen much shorter ones and some taller.
If you have a specific car in mind, it can be looked up in the Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER). For example, the July, 1948 issue indicates that a PRR Fm flatcar has a deck height of 3' 11" over the rail, and an overall (total) height of 7' 3". That means the top of the brake staff is 3' 4" above the deck on that particular class of car, and that was probably fairly typical. Other classes on other railroads may be a bit different, but probably in the same general ballpark.
The ORER can supply comparable info on other cars such as boxcars. On a PRR X23 boxcar, the running board height was 12' 5"; the top of the brake staff was 13' 5". Ergo, 1'0". On a PRR X26 (USRA) boxcar, the running board was at 13' 7"; the top of the staff was 14' 2". Ergo, 7". On a PRR X29 boxcar, the running board was at 13' 3" and the top of the staff 14' 0". Therefore, 9".
The ORER is a great resource, often overlooked.
If you have a particular car/class in mind, maybe one of us can look it up for you.
Tom
(edited with additional info)
rrebell They varied alot, about 3' was average on both boxcars and flat but different roads did different things. They picked that average height because of a mans reach when standing. I have seen much shorter ones and some taller.
Yeah, lots of variation.
I would say as a general rule, you'd see very few taller than about 4'. Much higher than that and a short brakeman would have issues getting as much force as possible applied in the era before the geared handbrakes common now. A brake club helps, but generally don't go much more than a foot higher than average.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL