Chuck
I can’t answer your question but I can probably muddy the waters!
Other than rebuilt XA-16’s, the only cars than I can find with the reporting
marks on the right are the XM-4, XM-4A, XM-4B and XML-11 / XM-4C which were
built between 1963 and 1966. However, other cars built during this period such
as the XML-4 and XML-5 (built in 1964 and 1965, also at Havelock) had the
reporting marks on the left. So there doesn’t appear to be a simple,
logical answer.
The XA-16’s (39000-39499) were built
at Havelock in 1946.
100 cars had their auto-loaders removed and
auxiliary doors sealed in 1954 and were used as box cars.
The remaining auto-loaders were removed
between 1957 and 1962, and the cars were renumbered to 9000-9499, presumably by
the removal of the “3”. Some were repainted Chinese red with
reporting marks on the right.
In 1967-8, 150 cars were repaired/rebuilt
at Havelock with a single door, painted Chinese red with the reporting marks on
the right, and renumbered 38800-38949.
There were still 19 cars from the
9000-9499 series and 144 from the 38800-38949 series on the roster in February
1970.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
From:
CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: 11 April 2016 12:03
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] Re: Swapped Box Car
Lettering
Chuck,
Hopefully somebody replied to you off-list, but here is an on-list
reply. The car in question looks a lot like the XA-16 class auto cars
covered in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia 13. On page 99 is a picture in
the later bright red scheme with the lettering swapped as in your pictures.
The XA-16 is a double door car and the picture you provided clearly
indicates a car with the second door removed. Not sure when this
happened, but it may have been after the merger.