[CBQ] Passenger Car Step Box

["Louis Zadnichek via groups.io" <LZadnichek=aol.com@groups.io>]

August 30, 2020

Keith - I've taken a close look at your step box images. I agree with Leo's comments. My own educated opinion is:

(1) The wood step box is authentic.

(2) It's original color was mustard yellow (CB&Q Yellow) as still shown on its interior surfaces.

(3) From its provenance, the step box was most likely hand made in the Cabinet Shop at the Aurora Shops.

(4) The wood step box predates the steel step boxes that were for the most part commercially manufactured.

(5) A 1899-1902 construction date is reasonable,  but the actual date could be on either side by a number of years.

(6) The step box might've spent its life in the Aurora Shops or a railroad office to reach high shelves. Or, it might've been used on either or both suburban and mainline passenger trains until finding its way back to the Shops in a passenger car needing repairs or having been condemned. I'm sure the box would have quite an interesting story to tell if it could talk.

It you want to keep the step box authentic to your father's time, leave it alone.  Or, if your home decor is more important than authenticity, then have a paint store match the interior mustard yellow color with a present day coating.  Your mother might not have liked the mustard yellow and had your father paint it a nice shade of blue to fit in with other household furnishings. Wives often "rule" when it comes to home furnishings.....

Purists may decry such repainting, but to others it won't make much of a difference.  You've got a very special CB&Q wood step box with provenance.  I've never seen another one like it. For value, as a "one of a kind," the box is worth what another seasoned CB&Q collector would be willing to pay for it.

Incidentally, the metal pocket in the bottom of the step box is indeed for placing clean rags.  They would be used by the trainman to wipe off the passenger car hand rails at station stops to keep passengers' hands clean of "railroad dirt." Thanks for sharing your step box with us - Louis

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL 

In a message dated 8/29/2020 10:23:49 PM Central Standard Time, qutlx1=aol.com@groups.io writes:

I confused my Bulletins the paint test is in Rupert Gamlens’ , “Parsimonious-from Scrap to Stock” in BB59. On pg. 16 of that Bulletin, the 2nd of the article, There is a reference to the Q’s standard yellow paint in 1895 as part of the Aurora shop paint study.

The paint matter I referenced below is on pg 23 of BB61 but it is not test related. Rather it is correspondence to and from the Aurora shop Supt. Trying to identify when the Q switched from yellow to green paint. The various correspondence narrow the time frame between 1899-1902.

So, if the yellow paint on the inside of the step box is original And matches the Q’s standard yellow it could date the step box to pre 1900.

Leo Phillipp

On Aug 29, 2020, at 8:44 PM, qutlx1@aol.com wrote:

I’m not claiming to be an expert. In fact I’ll admit my ignorance on details of step boxes.

But........ I’ll refer you to the just published BRHS Bulletin 61 which contains a paint Life study at the Aurora shops comparing the old yellow with new various shades of green,etc.

Further I’ll add that I suspect the wooden step boxes were made in the cabinet shop at the Aurora shops. Aurora built and rebuilt much of the Q’s passenger fleet. I suggest again, a reference to BB 61 for a picture of a pair of saw horses that I own that were built at the cabinet shop. I suspect many different wooden items were made at that shop. I’ve always felt that the wooden lockers we used in the Aurora,IL depot passenger men’s locker room were built at the cabinet shop.

Leo Phillipp

On Aug 29, 2020, at 8:19 PM, Joe Hardman <theoneafter909@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

[Edited Message Follows]

I will defer to the CB&Q experts for a definitive answer to your question, but the "musterd yellow" on the bottom very well could be the original finish. Whatever the case may be I stand by my previous post and encourage you not to do anything.

Joe Hardman

My grandfather worked for the Burlington in the Depression.  In the 1950's I remember him giving my family a porter step box for boarding passenger cars.  I have it in my model train room and would like to give it a new coat of paint.  The faded blue was applied by my dad in the 1950's when we received it.  It measures 13" X 17" X 9.5" high.  It is made of wood with three of the sides having a 4.75" diameter hole cut out.  Underneath on the fourth side is a piece of fabricated metal to hold rags.  I can't find any identifying marks on it.  Did CBQ make these or puchase them from an outside vendor?  What color would it have been?  Any information on this topic would be most appreciated.  Thank you.

Keith Erhart

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