When were these freight cars used?

[Roadtrp]

You guys make everything so complicated! [;)]

Now that I have abandoned my naive idea that you can choose freight cars because you like how they look, I need to know when the various types were in use. Could you guys please tell me the approximate years that the following cars types were used?

40' box car
50' plug door box car
50' single door box car
50' double door box car

40' quad hopper
3 bay 100 ton hopper
56' center flow covered hopper

11,000 gallon tank car
23,500 gallon tank car

36' Reefer
50' Steel Reefer

50' gondola
Coalveyor gondola

Trailer flat cars
Husky stack well cars

Thanks!! [:)]

P.S. Yes, I did read the 'Modeling 1960's Freight' thread. Although it gave some terrific information, it wasn't quite as specific or comprehensive as needed for a rookie like me.

[Anonymous]

That's a tall order Hoss, Who's driving who nuts? [swg] You might have to do some research, but I'll try to point you in the right direction. Just click on the type of car described.
40' box car
50' plug door box car
50' single door box car
50' double door box car
40' quad hopper
3 bay 100 ton hopper
56' center flow covered hopper
11,000 gallon tank car
23,500 gallon tank car
36' Reefer
50' Steel Reefer
50' gondola
Coalveyor gondola
Trailer flat cars
Husky stack well cars

QUOTE: ......Answering my question is probably more difficult than I thought it would be.

Not if you GOOGLE

QUOTE: .....Now that I have abandoned my naive idea that you can choose freight cars because you like how they look....

[2c] Or you do what I do, run any era equipment you feel like and tell folks you model a railway museum and the class 1 doesn't have a problem with you running on their rails. [^]

[Anonymous]

I highly suggest getting "The American Railroad Freight Car: From the Wood-Car Era to the Coming of Steel by John H. White " to help you in this endevour.

the book is invaluable and will definatly define exactly when and where certain types of frieght cars were used. It's also a good source if you plan on customizing and detailing your cars.

Jay

[Roadtrp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gsetter

That's a tall order Hoss, Who's driving who nuts? This will take some time, but I'll give it a stab though. Keep checking back . Just click on discription of the car.
40' box car

gsetter,

Thanks for giving this a shot. Answering my question is probably more difficult than I thought it would be. I can simplify it by getting to the core of what I need. I am modeling the years 1976 - 1999 (more or less). Which of the car types listed would have been in use (even minimally) during that time? [:)]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NTDN

I highly suggest getting "The American Railroad Freight Car: From the Wood-Car Era to the Coming of Steel by John H. White " to help you in this endevour.

Jay,

Thanks for the suggestion -- I will try to find that book. [^]

[orsonroy]

I'll give this a shot:

40' box car: 1900-1980, with the peak years being 1918-1965
50' plug door box car: 1950-1980
50' single door box car: 1918-1990
50' double door box car: 1918-1990

40' quad hopper: 1918-1990
3 bay 100 ton hopper: 1925-1990
56' center flow covered hopper: 1956-2000

11,000 gallon tank car: 1940-1990
23,500 gallon tank car: 1960-2000

36' Reefer: 1890-1960
50' Steel Reefer: 1940-1970

50' gondola: 1918-1990
Coalveyor gondola: 1970-2000

Trailer flat cars: 1935-2000
Husky stack well cars: 1975-2000

Now keep in mind that these are all VERY general dates, since you only gave us very general car types. 40' box cars have been around since 1900 or so, but they weren't common until the two USRA styles came out during WWI. 40' box fleets peaked in the late 1950s when most railroads were simultaneously ordering gigantic numbers of PS-1s and scrapping their 40' wood box cars fleet. Similar situations existed for basically every freight car type you've listed.

What time period are you specifically looking at? If we knew that information, it would be simpler to tell you which model types are appropriate for your layout.

For general freight car information from about 1900-1970, you can't beat the NEB&W website. It's a pay site ($5 a month) but it's got the best general freight car information available online. And even if you're looking at modeling after 1960 or so, it can tell you when older cars were retired.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

1976

40' box car - common, especially in the Mid West for grain
50' plug door box car - common
50' single door box car - rare - hard time getting fork lift in narrow door, many rebuilt with wider doors and/or double doors
50' double door box car - common

40' quad hopper - not common
3 bay 100 ton hopper - common
56' center flow covered hopper - common

11,000 gallon tank car - common
23,500 gallon tank car - common

36' Reefer - museums
50' Steel Reefer - not common

50' gondola - common
Coalveyor gondola - not yet

Trailer flat cars - common
Husky stack well cars - not yet

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

1999

40' box car - rare except in the Mid West for grain
50' plug door box car - common
50' single door box car - rare - hard time getting fork lift in narrow door, many rebuilt with wider doors and/or double doors
50' double door box car - common

40' quad hopper - very rare
3 bay 100 ton hopper - common
56' center flow covered hopper - common

11,000 gallon tank car - common
23,500 gallon tank car - common

36' Reefer - museums
50' Steel Reefer - not common

50' gondola - common
Coalveyor gondola - common

Trailer flat cars - not common
Husky stack well cars - common

The range of dates you have choosen is difficult because of major transistions occuring in freight cars and locomotives over that long a period.

[Roadtrp]

Thanks so much guys! You have been a HUGE help.
[bow][bow]

It looks like for my time frame I will be OK as long as I stay away from the reefers. Guess I'll have to put a museum on my layout to hold the 36' Meat Reefer I recently bought. I suspected at the time that it would be out of my era, but I bought it anyway because I liked it. [:P]

QUOTE: The range of dates you have chosen is difficult because of major transistions occuring in freight cars and locomotives over that long a period.

The period I chose was roughly the period the F40PH was in use by Amtrak. I realize that covers a lot of ground and equipment. That is basically what I was looking for. I'm still new at this and wanted to be able to use a fairly wide variety of equipment. And it looks like I will be able to -- the only things totally out of bounds seem to be steamers and reefers.
[:)][:)]

[lupo]

thanks guys, makes choosing freight cars a lot easier!![:)]
I was also struggeling with these question for some time now!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lupo

thanks guys, makes choosing freight cars a lot easier!![:)]
I was also struggeling with these question for some time now!

One of my favorite things about model railroading is doing rsearch and sharing it with others. I learned quite a bit today myself and I appreciate the help from others.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

the only things totally out of bounds seem to be steamers .......

There were several steam locomotives running mainline excursion during your time period, including N&W 611, N&W 1218, SP 4449, UP 8444 (later 844), UP 3985, NKP 765, NKP 587, SR 4501, etc etc.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE:
It looks like for my time frame I will be OK as long as I stay away from the reefers. Guess I'll have to put a museum on my layout to hold the 36' Meat Reefer I recently bought. I suspected at the time that it would be out of my era, but I bought it anyway because I liked it.

Like you're the only one in the hobby who's ever done this?

Now you're a TRUE model railroader! [8D]

[chutton01]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp
It looks like for my time frame I will be OK as long as I stay away from the reefers. Guess I'll have to put a museum on my layout to hold the 36' Meat Reefer I recently bought. I suspected at the time that it would be out of my era, but I bought it anyway because I liked it.

Heh, I started model railroading around 1976, and I too had a Wooden Reefer. The solution back then was not a rail museum, but instead to weather it, take the trucks off, build up a foundation of stripwood, and use it as a storage shed (with a concrete painted "Rockhard Putty" ramp from the ground to the side door). Don't forget tufts of Woodland Scenics groundfoam for weeds around the foundation (well, nowadays you can use much better material).

If you like reefers, the 57' PFE -21[?] model that Athearn has is still common enough on the rails, and the PFE scheme is valid for 1976 (Nowadays many have been rebuilt, including some with the engine compartment roof being removed and a new diesel installed, and most have new paint schemes since PFE is no more)