Ken, While I spotted many of the Q's 232000 series 16,000 gallon cars at
Standard Oil(Rochelle)I simply wasn't paying attention so I don't recall
seeing bottom outlets. These were full underframe cars so even looking at pg.
121 of Mike Spoors Color Guide you can't tell as the underframe hides the
bottom of the car. The bov would be inset into the frame anyway. However
these cars were classed ICC(DOT)103W which by definition has a bottom outlet
so from that industry definition we can be certain the cars had bottom
outlets. The huge expansion chamber(dome) in a 103 had plenty of room for the
top operating mechanism for the bottom outlet. Technically these type of cars
bottom outlet was really classified as an OVOM(overhead valve operating
mechanism).There was a handle on top of a rod that went from inside the
expansion dome down to the bottom valve.
These types of arrangements were standard in the industry thru the 60's and
found on almost all non pressure cars (there's still a rare few around and
parts are hard to find).
Non pressure cars could be unloaded either from the bottom valve or via the
expansion chamber by way siphoning off the load using a pipe hooked to a
pump.Theres a picture of a car being unloaded in this manner in another of
Mr. Spoors volumes. Hope this helps.
Leo
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