Nostalgia & History > Last Heavyweight Cars

In March 1942, the Monon received 7 new heavyweight baggage/express cars from St. Louis Car Co. Were these the last heavyweights built? Was there anything else even close??

riffian Wrote:
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> In March 1942, the Monon received 7 new
> heavyweight baggage/express cars from St. Louis
> Car Co. Were these the last heavyweights built?
> Was there anything else even close??


Good question. 1937 saw the last heavyweight "feature" cars, (lounge and dining car) delivered to MKT and Frisco. But, not sure about headend. I think these Monon cars were ex-US Army hospital cars that were sold to CI&L in 1945 as surplus. Monon converted them to passenger cars in their shops. These cars were "hybrids" in that their roofs were streamlined and they had thermopane windows and a/c, along with standard heavyweight trucks with friction bearings and underframe, rivited sides and standard heavyweight style steps. SP also purchased a few and converted them to baggage-dorms. Frankly, I'm not sure Monon purchased any new passenger stock after the late 1920's. Most of their stuff was crumbling by the time WW2 ended. When John Barriger was chosen to head the Monon right after the war, he embarked on the program to modernize the Monon. This included the purchase of the suprlus Army cars for enhanced passenger service, as well as full dieselization by 1949. Monon was one of the first roads to fully dieselize.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/12 12:05 by ATSF3751.

No, these were purpose-built, new cars. The former Army hopital cars were built in 1944 (ACF) and rebuilt by the Monon shops in 1947, in just about every configuration, BUT baggage cars. I think you may be correct on the Katy/Frisco cars.....don't know of any others built that late. Many streamlined, and "American Flyer" cars were delivered in 1936/1937.

riffian Wrote:
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> No, these were purpose-built, new cars. The former
> Army hopital cars were built in 1944 (ACF) and
> rebuilt by the Monon shops in 1947, in just about
> every configuration, BUT baggage cars. I think you
> may be correct on the Katy/Frisco cars.....don't
> know of any others built that late. Many
> streamlined, and "American Flyer" cars were
> delivered in 1936/1937.


I am surprised about these. But, I'm not a Monon expert by any stretch. Do you have car numbers?

Not a Monon expert, either. The cars were numbered 430-436 when new. Three of the cars were rebuilt into 30 ft RPO/Bags in the late 40's and renumbered 13, 14 and 19. The other four were renumbered 106-109.

I know the C&O bought quite a few heavyweight cars during the mid to late 30's, but I don't have further details. Don't know of any others.

riffian Wrote:
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> Not a Monon expert, either. The cars were numbered
> 430-436 when new. Three of the cars were rebuilt
> into 30 ft RPO/Bags in the late 40's and
> renumbered 13, 14 and 19. The other four were
> renumbered 106-109.
>
> I know the C&O bought quite a few heavyweight cars
> during the mid to late 30's, but I don't have
> further details. Don't know of any others.


Here is a photo of 430, minus the stuff that made it roll.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1879937

John H White's history of North American passenger cars cites air-conditioned heavyweights delivered to both C&O and ACL in 1942.

ATSF3751 Wrote:
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> Here is a photo of 430, minus the stuff that made
> it roll.
>
> http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1
> 879937

Thanks. Offhand the car looks similar to Southern Rwy, nos. 500-549 built in 1938 and 1941. I might have to do a closer comparison. Interestingly nos. 525-549 were built by St. Louis Car in 1941.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/12 05:13 by ts1457.

Here's a better photo of one of the rebuilt cars.




http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/monon14.jpg

riffian Wrote:
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> Here's a better photo of one of the rebuilt cars.
>
>
>
>
> http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/monon14.jp
> g

Thanks. I wish I had a diagram of the Monon car. I thought I did, but my set of Monon diagrams was incomplete. Imagine the picture of the Monon car as the original baggage-express and then compare it to this:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=917075

I think St. Louis Car may have used the Southern Railway design for the Monon cars.

Amazing that the Southern received heavyweight cars in 1941 as that was the year that the fully streamlined Southerner and Tennessean were inaugurated. (47 cars)

riffian Wrote:
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> Amazing that the Southern received heavyweight
> cars in 1941 as that was the year that the fully
> streamlined Southerner and Tennessean were
> inaugurated. (47 cars)

Yes, but Southern did use the same style gothic <sans serif> lettering on nos. 525-549 that they used on the streamliner cars. The earlier nos. 500-524 had the traditional passenger Roman style.