# Boxcar History



## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

Can anyone recommend a good resource on researching boxcar history. I'm just looking for some general information on how the use of this type of rolling stock has been used that the different model types etc. have been used over the years.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I know you came to the forum to learn and chat with like-minded hobbyists, but there really is no other good, or easier, way to describe an answer to your question than to direct you to the link I am posting......I know, you could have gone there yourself, but......

And please note, there are other, more detail specific sites out there about boxcars.....Google really is your friend.....

Boxcar


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

I did some Google searching as well as looking a bit in this forum, but didn't find what I was looking for. I also read the wikipedia article and was hoping for more.

I guess I wasn't specific enough with my question, maybe.

I hoping for an overview of different types of box cars and construction and when they were popularly used. Maybe others here know of other resources.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Interesting query. I have many books on locomotives and railroads. Even a few on cabooses. But none on freight cars. I looked on Amazon to see what’s out there. There is a series of paperbacks titled _Classic Freight Cars_ by a few different authors with a few on box cars but I’m not sure how extensive they get into the history in just 64 pages.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Wow, that would be a big topic. I doubt any one book could cover it. I would think the "history" goes back to long before railroad cars. I recall the first railroad passenger cars looked pretty much like stagecoaches with railroad wheels attached. I would think that railroad boxcars evolvedas generic freight haulers, railroad versions of the horse, mule, and ox-drawn box wagons used to haul cargo for centuries . . .


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I agree with Lee.....there is likely no one book or source of information for all boxcars, past or present.....it’ll take a lot of digging.....

Good luck though......


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Boxcars (Trains): Photos, Dimensions, History


Boxcars have been an important piece of equipment for the railroad industry since the early days of the 19th century. Today, they are used for more specialized tasks than in years past.




www.american-rails.com




.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

dboone said:


> ... how this type of rolling stock has been used








Explore ‘History of the Mexican Railroad Boxcar Communities in Chicago’ – IL Humanities







www.ilhumanities.org


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Stumpy said:


> Boxcars (Trains): Photos, Dimensions, History
> 
> 
> Boxcars have been an important piece of equipment for the railroad industry since the early days of the 19th century. Today, they are used for more specialized tasks than in years past.
> ...


Funny, the Laurinbrug and Southern orange boxcar caption says it’s a 40ft boxcar, when you can clearly see the length stencilled on the car as 50’ 6”..... 

Dubious info at best.....

And it doesn’t say how boxcars were constructed, and which ones were used at what period in history, as the OP was looking for.....


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Stumpy said:


> Explore ‘History of the Mexican Railroad Boxcar Communities in Chicago’ – IL Humanities
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This is more about the Mexicans themselves as it is about boxcars.....


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> This is more about the Mexicans themselves as it is about boxcars.


I knew you'd come around and be the Richard.

I guess "how boxcars were used" is above your level comprehension. 

Or you're just being your usual self and can't let _any_ post go without making a snarky comment.


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

Stumpy said:


> I knew you'd come around and be the Richard.
> 
> I guess "how boxcars were used" is above your level comprehension.
> 
> Or you're just being your usual self and can't let _any_ post go without making a snarky comment.


Thankfully there is a feature here to ignore people. LOL


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

The truth can never be snarky......


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

dboone said:


> Thankfully there is a feature here to ignore people. LOL


See if I even try to help you again.....🤬


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

I'll give it a shot. Let me add the caveat that I'm not really an expert and that the eras bled into each other as cars could be in use for decades in some cases and were often updated with later technology. Any comments (intended to edify the OP) are welcome. The info below is from upper right to lower left in the picture:








Civil War Era- 27’ Early on there were no common standards for railroad cars and there was little interchange between railroads. Cars were all wood including the frame. Early trucks were called woodbeam because the frame was wood. Truss rods were held up with wood beams. Couplers were commonly link-and-pin. (Model is from BTS, actually for a Georgia Railroad boxcar)

Civil War to 1870’s- 30’, Still have woodbeam trucks, transitioning to all-metal Queen posts for truss rods, a bit taller. The biggest new thing is that with standardization of gauge interchange meant standardization of railroad car designs. (Car is a Mantua old timer)

1890-ish- 35’, all metal trucks bolted together(Archbar and Diamond frame) replaced wood frame, side ladders appeared as columns of grab irons, air brakes becoming common. (Model is Labelle)

1900’s- 40’ As cars got bigger they needed sturdier construction. cars longer, taller, still more wood than metal. (Model is Funero and Camerlengo)

1910’s steel frame replaced wood and did away with Truss Rods, steel ends (Dreadnought) were developed, wood sides and doors, cast steel one piece truck frames (Bettendorf) replaced older bolted together frames. (Model is Main Line)

1920’s steel doors, ladders versus grab irons (Model is Walthers outside braced)

1930’s All-steel cars became common (Model is Kurtz Kraft) (still wood lined on inside to protect cargo)

1950’s 50’ common (Car is Tyco)

1960’s Roofwalks were removed from boxcars and brake wheels moved down.


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

Thanks, Murv!


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## 65steam (Dec 18, 2019)

Stumpy said:


> Boxcars (Trains): Photos, Dimensions, History
> 
> 
> Boxcars have been an important piece of equipment for the railroad industry since the early days of the 19th century. Today, they are used for more specialized tasks than in years past.
> ...


That's the first place that I turn to when I have questions, and it seldom disappoints.


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## Maddog (Jan 14, 2016)

Murv...got some very nice models there!




Boxcars could be used for most anything. They've become more specialized over the decades, but in the end it's still a box.

This is sort of an interesting article about car roofs and why they leak: http://www.pacificng.com/ref/freighttech/TheRoofProblem_By_Randy_Hees.pdf


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## DadsTrainGirl (Mar 18, 2021)

dboone said:


> Can anyone recommend a good resource on researching boxcar history. I'm just looking for some general information on how the use of this type of rolling stock has been used that the different model types etc. have been used over the years.


I can’t find it right now- I’ll look later but there is a guy in a podcast format on YouTube that I watched yesterday that did exactly what you are asking. If you see a guy that has a black chalkboard in his into that is the one. He did one on box cars, then steam engines, and diesels.


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

DadsTrainGirl said:


> I can’t find it right now- I’ll look later but there is a guy in a podcast format on YouTube that I watched yesterday that did exactly what you are asking. If you see a guy that has a black chalkboard in his into that is the one. He did one on box cars, then steam engines, and diesels.


I'll see if I can find it. If you remember the YouTuber's name let me know.


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## DadsTrainGirl (Mar 18, 2021)

Not exactly the one I was looking for but this is one:
“Freight cars: train talk ep 13

I’ll keep looking


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## DadsTrainGirl (Mar 18, 2021)

DadsTrainGirl said:


> Not exactly the one I was looking for but this is one:
> “Freight cars: train talk ep 13
> 
> I’ll keep looking


YES!!! I found it! 
TSG Mulitmedia
Model railroading 101 for beginners 

I found it very interesting


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

DadsTrainGirl said:


> YES!!! I found it!
> TSG Mulitmedia
> Model railroading 101 for beginners
> 
> I found it very interesting


Awesome, thanks so much. I'll check it out today.


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## wallaboutterm (Jun 26, 2020)

The American Railroad Freight Car by John H. White Jr is a good source from the early days to about 1900. 
Newton K. Gregg published soft covered books called Train Shed Cyclopedia. These are full size reprints from various sections of Car Builders Dictionaries. John Neirich did a series of articles in Mainline Modeler on freight car types/ eras and construction. Another source if you’re interested on what cars the Frisco had is the Official Railway Equipment Register. (ORER) Some issues are available free on the internet. I believe that there is a Frisco historical society, that may have even more detailed information on the Frisco. Many boxcars were in service for many decades, depending on the technology and the railroad business activity. For instance a lot of cars built between 1900 and 1920 got destroyed in the 1930s. Many of the cars built in the 1920s and 1930, were out of service shortly after WWII. Also in the 30s covered hoppers were first introduced as a better alternative to shipping grain in boxcars fitted with grain doors. Similarly coal hoppers were converted to cover hoppers for bulk cement loading as cement would not only be shipped in bags in boxcars. There have been articles in
Model Railroader, Model Railroad Craftsmen, Mainline Modeler about the development of freight cars focusing on somewhat specific eras, i. e., the 70s, the 50s, etc.


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