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Hello Bill and All - Truss rods were an integral part of the design of wood framed cars. As the cars started to sag from age the truss rods would be snugged up to restore some semblance of level and square. Early on, the AAR (Association of American Railroads) or predecessor ARA put out requirements that freight cars had to have a steel center sill that could take specified draft and buff loads. The intent was to have all interchange freight cars strong enough to hold together in the typical freight train of the day. Older cars were fitted with a steel center sill that used the existing draft gears and small shank 'D' couplers. This was not a steel underframe and it
did not support the car structure, so the truss rods remained on the cars. I saw a number of truss rod cars in interchange service into the early 1950s. Of course, they hung around for quite a while after that in work service. Possibly-probably (I'd have to do some diggin') when the 'E' coupler was made the standard for interchange these old cars were just scrapped - the railroads were too cheap to buy new couplers and draft gears. I did a paper many years ago about archbar trucks. It took almost twenty years to get them banned from interchange, what with all the foot-dragging by the railroads and especially the private car companies. The change-over would utilize the existing wheels and axles, bolsters, brasses, and brake beams, and require the purchase of new cast steel side frames. During the Great Depression a brand new cast side frame cost less than two dollars. PAW From: William Barber <clipperw@gmail.com> To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, December 23, 2013 9:49 AM Subject: [CBQ] Re: 1956 Empty stock cars eastbound do have one question. The lead stock car clearly has truss rods. Weren't truss rod equipped cars outlawed for interchange service at some point in time? Bill Barber Gravois Mills, MO __._,_.___
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