Boxcar length

[Anonymous]

Hi. I will be modeling a modern (1980s-present day) layout-not much bigger than 4x8 and with 18 and 22 radius curves. Are 40 ft. boxcars still in use today?

Many thanks. [8]

[dehusman]

Generally no.

There may still be some out there, but they are very, very rare. The majority of under 50 ft cars are tank cars, 2 bay covered hoppers, twin open top hoppers, and ore jennies.
If you want a modern layout that uses shorter cars base yours on one that serves a quarry/sand pit and a cement plant. Will give you oportunities to use 2 bay covered hoppers for cement and sand, and twin opers and ore jennies for gravel. Throw in a few 50 foot boxcars and 52'6" gons and you are set.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply-very helpful. [:)]

[Anonymous]

Run what you want to... *Smiles

With that said, it is mainly 50' and larger cars that travel these days. I did spot a 40 footer from the steam era on a St. Louis bound UP Freight that was rusty and"sad" amid all the brawny modern counterparts.

I have driven 28, 35, 40 and 45 foot trailers as well as the 53 footers in a semi and they are about the same as a rail car except for being perhaps not as "Volume"

I use a massive 86' high cube HO box car from Athearn to test my clearences. If I can get that past my bridge or station then I can run everything else thru there.

[BR60103]

The reasons that railroads run shorter than maximum length cars usually come from weight restrictions (coal cars loaded to the maximum the rails can take) or customer restrictions (ore cars are matched to the spacing of hatches in ore docks that were originally built many years ago; any replacement docks match the ore cars; replacement ore cars match the docks.)
Shippers in box cars may have platform doors set to match boxcar doors. Newer plants will have wider spacing. Maybe you have a plant with 40 foot door spacing and the railroad has to scrounge up 40 foot boxcars.

[lonewoof]

I recently saw a reference (on another website) to a FRA ruling that put a 40-year lifetime on underframes. Beyond that age they were banned from interchange.
If that's correct, it would explain why you don't see many 40' cars anymore. Anything built before 1964 would be out.