Eastern Railroad Discussion > QU about stored boxcars....

I'm wondering if ANYONE out there, railroaders and/or railfans alike, knows where one might find at least 100 or 200 (or more) empty boxcars just "sitting around waiting for a load" that are of the "Plate C" design, or in layman's terms, standard 50-foot boxcars with NO high cube? (Needed "yesterday" -- cars lettered for NS, SOU, NW*, CSXT, RBOX, ABOX, AGR, FEC, MEC, BM, HS, NOKL, ATW, FCRD, EEC, KCS, FSRR, CP, CN, IC, WLO, BN, BNSF, UP, MP, etc. SINGLE DOOR cars preferred; exception is ABOX cars, which are allowed. Cars such as FBOX or TBOX cars are not suitable; the cars needed cannot be of "high cube" design.) I hear there might be some in NS's Buckeye Yard in Ohio, but as far as I'm concerned, that's a rumor until I hear for certain. Are there any of these types of cars being stored "looking for loads" anywhere CLOSER to Virginia? Thanks for ALL responses; if anyone has "issues" responding to such a request formally on a railfan website such as this, just send a Private Message, and it'll be between us. Thank you.

*I know there are almost no "NW" 50-ft. boxcars left, however there are enough still out there that if any are just sitting "waiting for a load," they will do.

IMPORTANT: if anyone DOES know where some are, ARE THEY CURRENTLY SERVICABLE and/or STILL IN SERVICE -- not just waiting to be scrapped? (I should have noted that first off....)



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/14 14:51 by rbx551985.

I can't vouch for the exact type of cars, or if they are still there, but CSX has stored probably about that many of its CSX boxcars along the ex B&O to St Louis line in southeastern Indiana (west of Cincinnati). There are surely others who can vouch for the details, but I know they are, or were there for a Loooong time.

At one time there was quite a few GE owned 50 footers stored at Letterkenny, PA just above Chambersburg, PA. They were marked CIRR, HS, and SMW.

Pork Wrote:
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> At one time there was quite a few GE owned 50
> footers stored at Letterkenny, PA just above
> Chambersburg, PA. They were marked CIRR, HS, and
> SMW.


They are still there. I don't have a recent pic, but here is one from 2013 (taken from my old camera):

The tankers are since gone and there are more rows of boxcars.....

---

ns1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are still there. I don't have a recent pic,
> but here is one from 2013 (taken from my old
> camera):
>
> The tankers are since gone and there are more rows
> of boxcars.....

THAT'S what we're looking for -- but are those cars shown in the image stored there still "USABLE" for immediate ordering for loading? Lines of boxcars JUST LIKE THAT are what are needed. (Why can't the common carriers find those like railfans can?)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/14 14:53 by rbx551985.

rbx551985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ns1000 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They are still there. I don't have a recent
> pic,
> > but here is one from 2013 (taken from my old
> > camera):
> >
> > The tankers are since gone and there are more
> rows
> > of boxcars.....
>
> THAT'S what we're looking for -- but are those
> cars shown in the image stored there still
> "USABLE" for immediate ordering for loading?
> Lines of boxcars JUST LIKE THAT are what are
> needed. (Why can't the common carriers find those
> like railfans can?)


Check your inbox......

We have anywhere from 200 to 300 in my yard (NS Motor, SE of Cleveland,Ohio) that are "program" cars being cycled through the Mac Shop. Virtually all are ex Sou 50 footers with a few NW mixed in. Most will get a once over and sent back out, but some are "heavies" too, cars that need major work and stand a chance of being sent to scrap.

RAD

What I'd give to be able to do some carchaeology on those box cars...find out original and intermediate owners if possible, etc.!

But I'm sure that would terrorize someone.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

We had about 50-70 such boxcars stored in Wilsmere, DE for well over 3 years until just last week. Then they were all removed mid-last week and I think they have departed for scrap. There were also a number of 60ft high cube ex- automotive or appliance cars with them, maybe 100 total. They blocked a really good view from the east end of Wilsmere until a week ago. But they were all over 40 years old, both CSX and RBOX marks. AAR (or is it FRA) rules state that if a freight cars has not been rebuilt in it's first 40 years then it can no longer be used in interchange service. All of these car that I could see from a legal viewing area had met that criteria. They all had roller bearing trucks, of course, mandated since the late 1960s.

Curious why you ask, but I'm sure there are more of these older boxcars stored around the country in other places, for the same reason. Box cars are not dead, just not as in as great of demand as they were back then. On my local CSX line I see plenty of new Trailer Train 50 and 60 foot hi-cubes and even older CS 50 rib side cars in fresh paint being rebuilt.

tp117 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But they were all over
> 40 years old, both CSX and RBOX marks. AAR (or is
> it FRA) rules state that if a freight cars has not
> been rebuilt in it's first 40 years then it can no
> longer be used in interchange service.

Cars built new after 7/1/74 are automatically 50 years cars - no extended service work needed.

I too am curious to why you ask. The cars the Class 1 have "stored" are mostly out of service, not fit for loading. I have list of a bunch at Buckeye that are in process of being sold, either as rebuild candidate or as scrap. Leasing companies who have cars parked are looking for the best deal for the car - they will not allow the railroads to just use the car for a month or two to meet a customer's need - they want to sit on the cars until they get someone who will commit to them on a 5, 6, or 10 year lease. Railcar market is a seller's market right now 0 don't expect anyone to just do you a favor and let you use their car short term, even if you are willing to pay.

Up until a few years ago, there were a large amount of cars including boxcars stored in the boneyard at Altoona, PA...That entire batch of cars were removed and the tracks that they were stored on were ripped up....I believe that much of that rolling stock was scrapped...Dave W.

Posted from Android

dwi189 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Up until a few years ago, there were a large
> amount of cars including boxcars stored in the
> boneyard at Altoona, PA...That entire batch of
> cars were removed and the tracks that they were
> stored on were ripped up....I believe that much of
> that rolling stock was scrapped...Dave W.
>
> Posted from Android


A lot of those were old auto boxcars with Conrail markings etc....

The cars in NS's Buckeye Yard are LEASE cars which NS is not allowed to pull for their customers. There are indeed hundreds there, according to NS, and a specific customer of theirs (in Virginia) needing such "Plate-C" boxcars will check on who holds the lease -- and presumably will contact them about using the cars. THANK YOU to all who responded....!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/14 10:09 by rbx551985.