Canadian Railroads > CP Rail Red Bathtub Gons

I've been researching the Canadian Pacific (CP Rail) Bathtub Gons that were made and purchased by Hawker-Sidney in the late 60s and early 70s. The CP's were first delivered in the Action Red with the PacMan and later repainted into black in 1976 or so. I've found pictures of them in extensive coal use to Robert Bank, B.C. and theorize that they were exclusive in coal service while they were painted red. Can CP folks verify this? Did they ever haul sulphur while they were painted red?

Thanks in advance.

The red bathtub gons were the 349xxx series cars. They were purchased for the Roberts Bank coal trains. I don't recall seeing any in sulphur service.

KG

I think the Sultrans ( SULXxxxxxx ) Bath-tub gons arrived around 1976. They were painted black. These were dedicated sulphur cars.

Fred

The red cars never were utilized in sulphur service. Until 1980 sulphur moved in general service gons and cross-hoppers. In 1981 Sultran purchased 680 bathtub gondolas for sulphur service, they were numbered SULX 1000-1679 and were constructed by National Steel Car between March and July of 1981. The CP cars for coal service built by Hawker Siddley were:

The following is from my daughters unpublished manuscript "Coal Dust and Steel Wheels"

CP

Series Total Order Date Builder Notes

349050-349055 6 7000 01/70 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ and ‘B’ end, and independent brake line.

349100-349108 9 7000 01/70 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ and ‘B’ end, and independent brake line.

349109-349113 5 7123 01/72 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ and ‘B’ end, and independent brake line.

349114-349118 5 7123 02/72 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ and ‘B’ end and independent brake line.

349130-349138 9 6907 10/69 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ end, and independent brake line.

349139-349206 68 7000 01/70 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ end, and independent brake line.

349250-349441 192 6907 10/69-12/69 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ end and standard coupler ‘B’ end.

349442-349735 294 7000 01/70-03/70 HST rotary coupler ‘A’ end and standard coupler ‘B’ end.

Total steel Canadian “Bathtub Gondola” cars built=3663

CP 349050-349055, 349100-349108, 349130-349206, and 349250-349735 built by Hawker Siddeley in 1969 and 1970 have square corners. Also CP 350000-350285 built by National Steel Car in 1985 have square corners. All other cars built by HST or NSC for CP, CPHX, UNPX and SULX have round corners.

CP paint notes:

349050-349055, 349100-349108, 349130-349206, 349250-349735, and 352200 were delivered painted red with a white and black Multi-Mark and white and black lettering. 349109, 349114, 349460, 349601, 349665, 352200, 353052 were repainted into the black car with red multi-mark scheme.

All steel cars built between 1972 and 1985 were delivered in black paint with a red and white Multi-Mark and white lettering.

350000 series cars remaining were transferred to sulphur service in 10-12 2006, all cars were lined in Calgary and stenciled “SULHPUR SERVICE ONLY”

>)Multi-mark was used as an identifier of the rotary coupler end this resulted in the bathtub gondolas having the Multi-Mark on the ‘A’ end of the car instead of the company standard of the Multi-mark on the ‘B’ (Brake) end of the cars.

Cars with independent brake line had a 9” high rectangle along top of side sill centre panel.

CP 349050-349055, 349100-349108, red cars with black and white Multi-mark ‘A’ end and white panel ‘B’ end, double rotary cars.

Repainted cars had ‘CP Rail’ spelled out between the ribs instead of flowing over the ribs and look like | C | P | R | a | il |, cars with this style of lettering include: 349460, 349565, 349601, 349665, 351037, 351458, 351569, 351721, 352670, 353016, 353027, 353066, 353075, 353109, 353117, 353132, 353201, 353215, 353267, 353269, 353307, 353317, 353322.

Table Notes.

CP 349050-349055, 349100-349108, 349130-3491206, 349250-349735 were delivered without the Empty/Load Device feature. These cars were retrofitted with the device by 1973. The small round air reservoir for the device was placed on the platform between the diagonal end braces, and below the Emergency Reservoir (top tank on end sheet), and the Auxiliary Reservoir (lower tank on end sheet).

CP 349109-349118, 351300-351699 delivered with lift rings and the Empty/Load Device. The cars have the same air reservoir locations as the 1969/1970 delivered cars after they were retrofitted (see above note).

Cars built by NSC for CP, SULX and UNPX had the Emergency Reservoir on the end sheet, Auxiliary Reservoir on the end platform on the outside of the diagonal brace and the Empty/Load Device air reservoir on the end platform between the diagonal end braces.

Many 349xxx series cars were renumbered 353xxx series when converted to solid drawbar sets in 1992. The exceptions noted above with being repainted all red cars remained in red paint until their retirement.

My daughter, Kylie, was instrumental in having one of the original 349xxx series cars saved at the Revelstoke Railway Museum as car 353119 which is ex 349301.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/14 22:08 by eminence_grise.

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A huge thanks to all of you for your help. It's greatly appreciated.

Might I also recommend referring to Ian Cranstone's excellent website devoted to Canadian Freight Cars

http://www.nakina.net/

Lots of good info posted there... have a look around!