In the May issue of TRAINS magazine on page 54 there is a picture of Jupiter with what appears to be a special-purpose car behind it. It looks like a standard flatcar with a container on it, but there seems to be a bunch of bracing at the ends and sides. Does anyone know anything about it?
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
You know, I think it's a water tank car. Solid construction with a hatch on the top, that'd be my guess. There were places along the line where water was in short supply, at least at first.
Thanks, Flintlock. The more I think about it, the more your answer makes sense. It appears to be built like an inside-out wooden boat, with the ribs on the outside. There is a picture of a water car on page 36 which has big round casks on a flatcar, but there is no reason they couldn't have used both types.
Your welcome Paul! You know, at first glance I thought it looked a bit like a modern-day "less than carload" container car! (Couldn't be, could it?) Then I looked more closely and came to the conclusion I did.
When you think about it, a box-like tank car would have been the easiest type to build, not requiring the cooperage skills a cylindrical tank car would have needed.
I don't think it's a water car, it appears to be a flatcar with some external bracing with a long rectagular box with bracing securing it. More likely a load on a flatcar; that's how it looks to me anyway.
Anything's possible. Hopefully someone will answer the thread who really knows, but right now it's anyone's guess.
Could be. The photo quality's not that great though so it's hard to tell. The car pictured on page 54 looks a bit shorter than the one on 58.
At any rate it shows there's nothing new about "canteen" cars.
Hey, I think ORNHOO is on to something. In that picture on page 58 you can just barely make out the angled bracing (inverted V) on the side, and the height relative to the tender is about right. I had been wondering why that bracing was there, but it occurs to me now that diagonal bracing might be necessary because of the weight of the water sloshing fore-and-aft. It does look unnecessarily massive to me, but I think they knew more what they were doing than I do.
My copy has yet to appear in the mailbox, so this is speculation. Steel tenders had interior baffles to moderate the sloshing, either rivetted or welded to the sides. It would definitely be much harder to achieve similar strength and longevity with wood. Hence it would seem logical to add the strength on the outside.
Nothing wrong with following the old medieval cathedral builder's rule...
"Brethren, if thou art not sure, build hem stronger!"
I have not seen the picture, but it occurs to me that a recent comment in Dave Klepper's South Brooklyn switching thread might be relevant here.
Coal supply to 'intermediate points' on some of the subway lines were done from special low-sided cars, as the transfer method (to heating stoves) was via comparatively-small but frequent bucketloads. A specific note is that a typical hopper car would have been ill-suited for this purpose.
Having said that, I do think water (and probably 'potable water') is the likeliest explanation for the reported construction.
Thank You.
Interesting. At least we know where the picture was taken.
"Locomotive 'Jupiter' at Monument Point."
Unfortunately it doesn't say what kind of car it is, but I'm still guessing it's a home-built water tank car.
Thanks NDG!
Flintlock76 Interesting. At least we know where the picture was taken. "Locomotive 'Jupiter' at Monument Point." Unfortunately it doesn't say what kind of car it is, but I'm still guessing it's a home-built water tank car. Thanks NDG!
I KNOW it's a G Damn WATER CAR! It's not likely full of chocolate syrup! Would clog the Check Valves! and burn the sheet!
I have seen cars such as this in old CPR construction photographs and that what they were.
I have mailed three 3 Condolence cards out since April 1st., TWO to same address!! First a Son and yesterday, the Father.
Bad Time rite now.
Great Site on Promontory.
I was there years ago in a snow storm and have never felt so far away and alone as I did there. What a place for a Railroad in the ' 60s!!.
Great location for the Rocket Booster site.
Would have been something to watch SP highball tonnage over THAT route BEFORE the Lucin Cut Off.
Amazing!
I know you know, just sayin', that's all.
My condolances on the loss of your friends, can't be easy.
Thanks, NDG, for the positive ID, and may I add my condolences on your loss.
From what you say that type of water car was a more or less standard design, and not something conjured up just by the WP crews. And I'm going to have to spend more time going through that site.
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