If you can get a copy of John White's "The American RR Freight Car" pgs
572-580 he writes about LaMothe and the Huntingdon car works. There are
also "engravings" of several cars including two gons built for the
Furness Railway in Scotland.
In brief: In the 1860's Bernard J. La Mothe developed the idea of using
iron pipe to build RR cars. In the 1870's the National Tube Works
started building pipe cars and they were sold to several railroads. Many
were sold to leasing companies primarily the Southern Iron Car Co. In
1890 the Southern was seized by crediters including the Huntingdon Car
Co. which had built many, however refinancing failed and concept of pipe
cars died. However thousands had been built and they lasted till about
1900. Problems with the pipes coming loose and problems installing
automtic couplers and air brakes led them to be scrapped rather than
rebuilt. The other problem was having a wood car carpenter work on an
iron car when he had neither the tools or training as Charlie saidk.
Some were also built for the Southern Pacific narrow gauge and the
Denver, South Park and Pacific, predecesser to the CB&Q owned C&S
(mandantory CB&Q content 8^). In recent years remains of two ex-SP cars
have been found in the Nevada desert and are at the Nevada RR Museum in
Carson City waiting work.
Ken Martin
"lesgilpin " wrote:
>
> Slightly off topic guys but I don't want to join another Yahoo
> Group just to ask one question (or two). Someone may be able
> to at least point me in the right direction.
>
> I'm trying to trace tubular framed or 'gas pipe' freight cars of 1888
> built by the 'Huntingdon Car Works' and early steel hoppers
> build around 1898 by the Schoen Pressed Steel Company.
>
> Can anyone point me to a suitable contact or group to track
> down these sources?
>
> (Although I model the CBQ in N, I'm looking for to build some old
> time cars that were used in England but built in the USA!).
>
> thanks for allowing the interruption!
>
> Les Gilpin
> Cardiff
> Wales
> UK
>
>
>
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