When were the last boxcars built in America? I want to say it was 1981, but I'm not sure.
It definitely wasn't 1981. While I can't give you a detailed accounting, Montana Rail Link for one ordered 100 new boxcars during its first year of operation.
Edit: This link suggests that thousands have been built in the late 1990's and early 2000's. It goes back and forth between North American and US data, but table 1.2 specifically refers to the US.
http://www.railsolutionsinc.com/pdf/Investors-Guide-2012-2013-Section1.pdf
overall When were the last boxcars built in America? I want to say it was 1981, but I'm not sure.
It's a little early in the year to say that you could find one with a build date of 2016, but according to this article, some 692 were built in 2014, and something over 100 were built in 2015.
According to the linked article, there are two main issues. One, they have outstanding orders for thousands of tank cars, but only a few hundred box cars. Two, the ROI for new boxcars isn't currently very attractive.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Thanks for the replies. I thought I had heard somewhere that there had not been any new ones built in this country for a long time, I'm glad I was wrong about that.
Can't find the 2015 cars. The latest cars I've seen documented were some TBOX cars built in 2014 (60-foot, double plug doors). This is not to say that the article is wrong; we may have more to discover. Also, it's possible that the article is including refrigerator cars in their totals, but in that case there were more than 100 built.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
I believe CN was still taking delivery of new boxcars into 2015, 60-foot hi-cube double plug door cars in the DWC 794000-795000 series. They are intended for lumber/pulp & paper service. Shiny brand new specimens smelling of fresh paint continued to show up at my local lumber mill into last summer.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Time must fly up there in Alberta! The last cars in that DWC series (numbered through 795299) were delivered in 2012.
I stand corrected, but you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun, and we have lots of fun up here! Was it really that long ago? I'll have to check build dates but some of those cars seem brand new still, with smooth winding handbrakes and lack of graffiti. Guess that's what fooled me. Those TBOX's make their way out here from time to time too, and like you said they are even newer.
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