Nostalgia & History > SP Bomb Train at Roseville

I am in the process of trying to track down pictures of the munitions boxcars involved in the famous explosion in Roseville to model. Can anyone point me to sources of information and pictures of these cars? Thanks.

Why? Perhaps I am the only person in the universe that wonders, but for what reason is this information of any relevance in 2010??

Are you going to model it, or try to recreate it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/10 16:43 by Super_C.

There was a picture of the aftermath of the explosions on T.O. some time ago. Try searching for it.

Super_C:

This is a Nostalgia & History forum; note the heading at the top of the page. Its whole purpose is to talk about, present and ask about things relating to RR history. The gent asking about the munitions boxcars is doing exactly that, just as countless others have asked about other RR history subjects here.

Yes, you are probably the only person in the universe who wonders, per your post. And I'm puzzled about why this person's request for information, per the suggestion implied by your post, has to have some relevance to 2010? Does that mean that every other question here has some relevance to 2010, too? Yet no other posters have apparently been grilled about 2010 relevance.

Perhaps some clarification of your question might help understand your note.

Jeff Johnston

They were 50 foot cars, painted silver with DODX reporting marks. I want to say they were plug doors, I could be wrong. Had wooden floors which caused the explosions. rather had shields installed around the brake shoes to prevent sparks from the shoes reaching the floor

I remember some of the DODX silver painted cars that went through Roseville with the EXPLOSIVES placard on the tack boards to have nothing more than a standard envelope door. After seeing entire trains of more modern plug door insulated hydra-cushion type cars with the same explosives placard on the tack boards, I found it surprising to see the much older equipment being used to carry what we all knew were nothing more than a train load of bombs headed for the war in Vietnam.

What was really impressive was to see a few these former silver painted cars and car parts, still looking like the basic shape of a box car burnt crispy black and already rusting in a field more than a 1/4 mile away from the yard. It looked like a giant had taken the car and set it down as a field decoration and all the tall grass around was undisturbed. Doors were missing from the car in the field of green grass. I realized right then that war is a serious business and why many veterans of war refuse to speak of their experiences on the battle field.

April 28, 1973 Antelope Yard at 8:05 AM.
I shall follow this thread with avid interest to read the first hand reports with eye witness data about this incident.

Navy ammo box cars from that era might have had a full door and a half door side by side..and sliding.
Roger Beckett

Quick TO search, I think we had some newspaper reprints on a thread as well:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1660076,page=1
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1400964,1401898#msg-1401898
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,185297,185302#msg-185302

Who cares why he is asking ?? Seems like a legitimate question to me...!!

Steve Hazelton
Elk Grove CA

Also check the Sacramento Bee archives; they may have some pics in their archives.

Steve Hazelton
Elk Grove CA

I think East Valley Lines located in the Travel Town Museum has a model of the yard that was used in a court case. You might ask them if they know anything.

JLY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> April 28, 1973 Antelope Yard at 8:05 AM.
> I shall follow this thread with avid interest to
> read the first hand reports with eye witness data
> about this incident.


Well sir, here is one post I will have nothing to argue with you about. I KNOW you will be the expert on this one.

Virlon

"These cars were built by Pullman-Standard, Inc., in 1952. Each had a steel superstructure, a 20-inch travel cushion-type steel underframe, and 50-ton capacity Chrysler 4-wheel trucks with 52 inch plain bearing journals and low-friction composition brake shoes. The swing hanger supported spring plank was stabilized by a shock absorber to reduce lateral impacts to the car and lading.

Each car was 53 feet long, 15 feet 1 inch high, and 10 feet 4 inches wide. It had a lightweight and load limit of approximately 69,600 and 107,400 pounds, respectively.

The single floor of each car was constructed of 24" by 54" pine, tongue and groove flooring. The sides and ends of the interior were constructed of 25/32" by 34" pine, tongue and groove lining painted with non leafing aluminum paint. The interior of the car was equipped with DF-1 adjustable belt rails, and 4" by 4" DF-1 crossbars, to facilitate blocking and bracing of lading."


The above was "borrowed" from the official DOT/FRA accident report. If you want to read the report, which is interesting, go to:

http://ntl1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads

Then go to "1973" and to the third SP report (Roseville). The second report is a similiar incident at Benson, AZ.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/10 08:27 by Railbaron.

http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=dodx28761&o=dodx

Concord Naval Weapons Station has 100 or more of these boxcars in their abandoned yard off Hwy 4 in Concord

And I think a couple of these sit out at the Western R.R.museum that you could get close to.