Baltimore and Ohio C-16 (M-53) Express Boxcars

[Trainman440]

Hi!

I've searched all over the internet, but couldn't find the following:

Im aware the converted M-53 express boxcars weren't many. To my limited knowledge, only 100 were built for express service. Is this correct? How often were they found on other railroads? (in particular, PRR and ATSF)

I've heard they only operated between 1940-1959, later converted back to regular M-53 boxcars. Is this correct?

Thanks!

["JaBear"]

Gidday, I had hoped one of the knowledgeable chaps would have chimed in, but it would appear that you are correct in that there were only 100 cars built and were in service from 1937 to 1959. Here’s a link here…

 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/bando-wagon-top-boxcar-color

 

…which also mentions that these cars would have rarely gone off line, if at all.

 

However, if you were keen it would appear that they may be available here…

 

https://exactrail.com/collections/b-o-m-53-wagontop-boxcar/products/b-o-m-53-wagontop-boxcar-bando-blue

 

…and here...

 

http://www.fandckits.com/ho_frtlistbyroad.html

Cheers, the Bear.

[Trainman440]

Thanks for the reply! Actually yea, I saw the sale Exactrail had ($20 for a car!!!) and that's what led me down this rabbit hole...I had already read the Ogauge forum, but then I was looking  at videos on Youtube(I know, not a good source), in particular Vid Voder, from La Mesa railroad club, and saw how they always had a M53 in their fast mail trains(the train Im trying to model). Seeing that they had it in their train(along with other people with M53 cars in their SF and PRR mail trains), I was wondering if the O gauge forum had it possibly wrong. Guess there's not enough info on these cars online.

That being said, I might just buy one anyways, cause I love the look of em!

Thanks for the reply,

Charles

[BigDaddy]

1/2 priced boxcar is a pretty good deal.

["JaBear"]

Trainman440

Guess there's not enough info on these cars online. That being said, I might just buy one anyways, cause I love the look of em!

Gidday Charles, I try, before I offer any information, to have at least three reference sources but too often that’s an impossibility. Besides, no matter, how useful the internet is, it is not the complete repository of All Information, which you already know.

 

So, unless a situation is completely unfeasible, if you wish to run a C-16 car on your appropriately time framed Santa Fe Express, do it, and if someone then you takes you to task on your “mistake”, then the onus is on the critic to provide Hard evidence that they are correct.

 

While I much prefer proof, a lack of proof doesn’t mean “it” never happened.

 

Have Fun

Cheers, the Bear.