Early Steel Boxcars

For which line(s)? There were dozens.

Try asking this on the EarlyRail Yahoo list.

Or contact Al Westerfield thru his website:

Art, The Texas Midland is what I'm after. However the T&P, T&NO, or Frisco would be of interest. The Texas Midland was one of the first railroads in Texas to use steel boxcars, but more than likely their rolling stock would be the same as used by the larger lines they interchanged with particularly the T&NO (SP). Bruce

White's "The American Railroad Freight Car" indicates that nationwide production of freight cars in 1900 was only 29,800 all steel or steel framed vs. 112,000 all wooden. Most of the early all steel cars were hopper cars, tank cars, and heavy duty flat cars. By 1905, ICC data lists the class 1 RR's as having a total fleet of 1,731,000 cars, of which only 150,000 were steel framed or all steel. My reprint of the 1906 Car Builder's Dictionary has photos of 10 recent box cars - all are double sheathed wood bodies, with

5 having steel underframes and 5 being all wooden. The credits indicate of the cars with steel underframes, 2 were built by American Car & Foundry Co., 2 by Pressed Steel Car Co., and 1 from Middletown Car Works. (None of the illustrations are of Texas RR cars.) The only all steel freight cars illustrated are some of the flats, gons, hoppers, and tanks. Gary Q

1920's. I am sure there were other, earlier cars but I dont think you will find models. Red Caboose makes the X29 type, Walthers and Train Miniature used to. The Athearn, MDC and Accurail cars are too modern. As was mentioned earlier, try Westerfield. Bill

Guys, Thanks for your input on this topic. As several of you suggesred I emailed Al Westerfield. I thought I'd post his responce for your information. I think I'll email Cyril Durrenberger about this as well to see if he might have anthing to add. Bruce

Bruce - As far as I am able to determine, the earliest all-steel box cars were built in 1909, 10 or 12 that UP built in-house and a demonstrator by Sumner (or similar name) shown in the 1912 Car Builders (and Gregg reprint). TM might claim to have the earlist steel underframe box cars as these were built beginning in 1899 or 1900 by Pressed Steel. There is no photo documentation for this although other PSC builders photos show such cars at this time - UP, Iowa Central, Erie and NP as I recall. - Al

Al problably knows more about this then anyone I know of. But, there were some earlier experimental box cars built of all steel/iron. But these were buit in ones and twos. One was mentioned in Railway age back in the 1890's. If I can locate the reference I'll post it. No photographs.

Howard