Rupert,
I would say "yes". If you start reading about early railroad construction
the first thing every railroad bought was flats and the second was box
cars. The flats would be useful during the construction phase and the
box cars told the future customers you were going to be ready to do
business.
By the 1890's everybody had tons of flat cars but not a lot of loading
for that car type. Coal and gravel loading was available and the flats
could be easily modified for that service.
Self clearing hoppers were one of the last car types put in service.
With cheap labor a flat bottom gon made an excellent coal car and
when it got beat up you could always take the sides off and it was
a usable flat again.
While it's past the scope of the CB&Q there have been very recent
flat car reconfiguration programs. During the mid to late 80's
and early 90's cars for tie loading were in short supply. All through
RR history, right back to the 1870's stock cars were the backup cars
for tie loading. While the BN started out with a very large fleet by
the mid 80's they were all gone. The BN's great "numbers game"
purge had gotten rid of hundreds of gons, mostly ex GN. So what do
you load ties in? While they did figure out a solution, (flat bottom
coal gons", there were some side roads they went down first.
GN had a fair number of 50' bulkhead flats with rather high end bulkheads.
The lumber industry was already down the road to 60' and up cars only
and these cars were in crummy shape anyway. Havelock cut the ends
down and fabricated sides that fit into the stake pockets and were welded
into place. Did not make a bad tie car. The top chord on the sides was
made the right width and strength to handle a "jimbo". Only problem
with the prototype was it wasn't big enough. Easy to change the plan and
they put the sides out for bid. Paper Calmensen in La Crosse got the bid
and started making sides. They were on the MILW, (right across from
their roundhouse), and they would not supply cars for a switch move but
BN was able to find cars and the sides went to Havelock where the
conversions are done. The original car was kept with the lower sides.
After the program was over we got a gon for scrap loading and I was
told it was still loaded. Sure enough, under the snow were two car
sides from that program. Billed it to Havelock but don't think they created
another car. Those sides are probably laying in the weeds somewhere and
everyone that knew what they were for has retired.
Life on the railroad,
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rupert and Maureen" <gamlenz@ihug.co.nz>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, 25 September, 2003 04:11
Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] 1898 CB&Q equipment
>
> Russell & Ken
>
> Thanks for your responses re. furniture and woodenware cars.
>
> Still on the subject of the 1898 era, I notice that "coal and flat" cars
> were often recorded together (in addition to "coal cars"). Were these
> optional uses of the same car, i.e. with side boards they were used for
> coal?
>
> Rupert
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
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