As a former "box packer" I can say with 9944%? certainty that what is referred
to as a "dope wagon" would have been a cart to carry the waste "packing" used
in friction bearings...Believe it or not at one time that's all there
was....Dope was a term used for packing material.
There was also a material called "dope" which was of the consistency of soft
putty but water soluble.?When "suspended" or dissolved depending on your
definition in water it produced an "emulsion" which was very slippery.?
When you had a hotbox...anybody remember those....which you had repacked or
even were trying to nurse to the next setout point you would put the fire out
with water and then pull the old packing, which was usually imbeded with shreds
of babbit.? You would then put in fresh packing and shove several "rods" of
this dope into the journal box and thow in plenty of water.? The rods looked
like candles and were 8-10 inches long.? The rods of dope would dissolve in the
water and make a very slick emulsion which would both cool the overheated
bearing and provide additional lubricaton and hopefully you could? nurse the
car to the next place you could set it out, or even perhaps to the next
terminal.
The rod dope was extremely slimey and slick..Most trainmen would work it with
their bare hands rather than with gloves on since it would usually ruin a pair
of gloves
By the way anybody know what a "Keely" was and the origin of the term ??
Pete
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Webber <rgz17@comcast.net>
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 4:59 pm
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: Dope Wagon
Doug, I just pulled the drawing (I'm compiling an index of donated
drawings, and that one was one that I brought home).
It is based on a standard Vanderbilt Wheelbarrow. 4 Wheels. It has
details for a waste box & a packing bucket - that's why I thought it
might be for packing "friction" bearings. There is also a packing
iron. The wagon is enclosed, and has sloped sheets, with the packing
buckets hanging on the side.
Note that this is an official NYC drawing, and the only definition is
DOPE WAGON. It is from the Equipment Department. If it was for soft
drinks (which I can see a connection for some things) - it would be
either the commissary or passenger equipment departments. The
drawing is dated 6/28/1935, and is revision C.
At 03:59 PM 3/6/2009, you wrote:
>Bob, I have no clue what the NYC called a Dope Wagon. But apparently
>Dope was a term used for soft drinks or carbonated beverages,
>down south. A Dope Wagon contained soft drinks, ice, sandwiches,
>etc. and roamed the mills or mill yards, very similar to a lunch
>wagon or lunch cart.
>
>Here is one description: "I do remember seeing the dope wagon being
>pushed across "the square" and downhill to the mill. Did you
>ever see the fire hose carts pulled behind a pickup truck? The dope
>wagon was very similar; had two automobile wheels, a bed maybe
>4 feet wide and 5 or 6 feet long, with side boards maybe 6 or 8
>inches high. Part of it was lined with tin filled with soft drinks
>and ice. The wagon had two boards extending out one end much like
>the old fashioned mule wagons, with a round cross bar for a
>handle to push and guide it. It was pretty well balanced on the two
>wheels and axle so one man could handle it."
>
>There was even a National Dope Company in Birmingham, Ala.
>1909-1911. I saw one suggestion the term might be a dig at Coke.
>
>Now of course the NYC may have used it to move hot tar or some other
>form of sealant around the coach yard to seal roofs, etc.
>
>Doug Harding
>www.iowacentralrr.org
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
Bob Webber
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