Brachs candy covered hoppers

[csxns]

Around 1995 saw a Branch Airslide on CSX heading toward Bostic yard.

[7j43k]

dknelson

 

For the Brach's candies car, the car number is GACX 42410.  The caption says there were 30 such cars painted Brach's.  

 

 

"Railway Prototype Cyclopedia 22" has an article on leased Airslide 2600 cuft cars.  From its roster, Brach's had some leased cars in the series 43461-43493.  I have found online photos of cars 43468, 43471, 43478 and 43481.  And a photo of 43471 painted in grey in 1977.

There is a roster note that says that it is possible not all cars in the series were lettered for Brach's.  But if you want to model some, four good numbers ought to be enough for almost anyone.

The series was built May 1958.  The photos of the cars painted in this scheme are dated from 1962 to 1969.  And one of the cars was grey in 1971.

 

 

Ed

[softail86mark]

Mmmmmmm, candy-covered hoppers. Sounds delicious...

[Andrew Falconer]

The 40 year rule is for cars built before 1974.

Most of the AIRSLIDE covered hoppers built after 1974 are being retired or downgraded to sand hauling because ACF and Trinity have built larger and more effective pressure differential covered hoppers.

[dknelson]

The October 1962 issue of MR had an article showing photos with the paint schemes for 17 of the then fairly new Airslide cars

For the Brach's candies car, the car number is GACX 42410.  The caption says there were 30 such cars painted Brach's.  

A prototype plan was in the January 1961 issue of MR.  

I checked a 1962 equipment register and there is no way to tell what cars of GACX were painted in what scheme for what lessee.  42410 for example was part of a series 42385 to 42504.  120 cars, and surely not all were painted for Brach's.   So there is no way the Equipment Registers could really tell you how long the cars ran in that paint scheme.

I know that in the 1950s, most airslides with railroad names on them were leased and had GACX reporting marks, but that often changed in a matter of months and before long the railroads bought the cars and had their own reporting marks.

I see no evidence in the 1962 ORER that Brach's had its own reporting marks however.  Nor in a 1967 ORER.  So I assume that the Brach's cars and similar food company painted cars remained leased.

Dave Nelson

[jrbernier]

  General American  introduced the 'Airslide' covered hoppper in the late 50's.  The original cars were 70 ton capacity and had a special perferated liier that allow compressed air to 'ripple' theough the load to make it flow better.  The cars were used to carry commodities that packed and did not flow out of gravity discharge gates.  Flour and sugar were common food commodities carried by these cars.  Later in the 60's a larger/longer 100 ton capacity 'Airslide' was introduced.  Most of the 'Brach' cars are leased from General American, and carry GACX reporting marks.  I have seen pictures of the cars in the full paint scheme, and later in just a standard grey.  Maybe someone knows the history of the GACX lease fleet and what cars were leasd to Brach.  

  Airslides are getting rare due to the 40 year rule - They are being replaced with 'Pressue-Differential' covered hoppers, and in Bach's case, there appears to be a lot of tank cars leased(corn sweetner replacing sugar?).

Jim

[h2w]

how many of these cars did Brachs lease and were these shipped to various sugar refineries then shipped loaded back to the Brachs chicago plants

what years wre these cars around thanks

mk