reporting marks, pt. 2

[cabforward]

when i read about car rep. marks, i wonder about the "fine print" all over freight cars.. i wonder where i might find meanings for these (my guesses underneath):

'capy'
capacity?

'ld lmt'
load limit?

'lt wt'
??

'e.w.'
empty weight?

'cu.ft.'
cubic feet?

'new 8-87'
built in aug., '87?

'stl whls'
steel wheels?
arent all made the same way? they all get the same abuse..

'1" comp brk sh'
composition brake shoes?

'close and lock door
before moving'
(understood; why is it so
seldom done? are receivers penalized if damages occur due to unsecured doors?)

'return via service route'
route car to owner via a pre-determined route, unless needed before then?

'draft gear'
dont recall the entire phrase.. something about using it, or maintenance?

**and the weirdest one of all..

'wickit lube'
often at the end of a car, above the coupler..
a lubricant for certain joints or fittings? perhaps labeled to exclude other preparations, not as suitable..

would there be someplace where these and other minutae are clarified?

i have realized after many years of observation, there is no stenciling i have observed or read which does not interest me.. nothing is so trivial or difficult to understand that i dont want to know what it means, its context, etc.

i wonder if r.r. crewmen ever think, "how do fans notice these details? i never see the things they point out, or have an idea of their meaning".

[cabforward]

OOPS! i posted this letter before reading the abc's of r.r.ing.. now i know most of what i was looking for..
except that starting with 'close door..' im still wondering what the messages mean..

[Anonymous]

The close door before moving car is most improtant on cars with the plug type door. The kind that are flush with the car. These doors have be known to come off their tracks due to a rather flimsy hinge when open. They are safe if the car is still but the force of a coupling can jar them loose. I used to try to close them but they are really hard sometimes. I would have to call a carman or leave the car until it could be dealt with. As for the regular sliders it is not as critical but should be closed anyway. Alot of the open ones going down the track have been damaged so that why they are not closed. Even then they should be wedged with wood block to prevent rolling.