Re: Need info on early C&S inherited coal cars -- how were they numbered??

Posted by Dave Eggleston on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Need-info-on-early-C-S-inherited-coal-cars-how-were-they-numbered-tp16697p16723.html

The first ORER I have listing only C&S numbers is from 1903; in 1902 they are still listing cars being relettered! So 3+ years in there was a decreasing population of older-lettered cars.

We're seeing that getting a full roster in and through the shops for a repaint while the road is operational is a massive undertaking. The UP used paint patches over older lettering to speed their effort after 1885 and it still took them years to redo the DSP&P and CC cars to their new UP numbers.

The late 1901 and early 1902 ORER issues hint that cars of every type were still being renumbered, including cabooses. Sadly they don't say how many cars are left at each reported period. I would be willing to bet at least 10% of the cars in Jan 1901 were still carrying old lettering. Maybe it was 20%. Maybe 30%. I have no info on that.

One theory that came to mind around the slower relettering effort is cars caught in operational cycles that kept them from getting to Denver or Como. For example, did some coal cars from Baldwin get trapped in a cycle of deliveries to Gunnison, Pitkin, BV, Leadville and then returned empty to Baldwin only to be reloaded and sent to those places again, maybe returned empty, rinse and repeat. Something like 2+ cars of coal were needed to get a 3-4 engine train west over the Gunnison district, so a lot of coal cars simply serviced the company's docks and returned empty. Add in the annual Tunnel closures of 3-6 months and cars became trapped for significant periods, with a few used on local duty, unable to be relettered. Or was there a paint crew in Gunnison in the winter? Every year once the Tunnel reopened the priority was to move coal, so were stranded empty boxcars left for "later?"

This guessing may be possible for the Gunnison District, which I know the most about. No idea if Breckenridge or Leadville or other places on the line had any similar situations of equipment possibly isolated by operational oddities.

The most exciting bit of all this is for those modeling the line before 1904. A mix of lettering and weathering (older cars not lettered yet) adds a twist visually--the closer to 1904, the fewer the old lettered cars, of course. Think about a train of all C&S cars with a DL&G caboose. One UPD&G reefer in the train. An older DL&G flat sitting stored at a remote siding. And I'd argue, if you're modeling 1901 it may be 10% (or more) of your roster needs that old lettering!