Re: Caboose numbers

Posted by Jim Courtney on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Caboose-numbers-quickly-diverged-to-Tiffany-Reefers-tp6376p6478.html

I've been looking at Todd's wonderful images of the Tiffanys for the past few days, reviewed Derrell Poole's two articles in The Outdoor Railroader, and Doug and I have exchanged a couple of emails.

A small photograph in Derrell's article showed the Tffany UP 24024 was an unlucky reefer. Although it escaped the Washington Spur wreck of February, 1901, with minimal damage, it was badly damaged in the Riverview wreck a year later, in May, 1902. Nonetheless, it was repaired, subsequently rebuilt and stayed in service.

UP 24011 as shown in Todd's images, was damaged enough that, according to Derrell, it was removed from service and never rebuilt.

A couple of intersting points that I've gleaned:

While not apparent in Todd's images at first glance, 24024 had dark painted ends, matching the roof, with light UP reporting marks on the end. This is more apparent in the photo in Derrell's article.

24011 had light ends and sides (yellow?) with dark UP reporting marks in Todd's images.

The photo in Derrell's article shows another small Tiffany (UP 24004) still in UP paint and reporting marks, lying nose down in the South Platte.  It, too, has dark ends with white UP reporting marks on the ends, but light (yellow?) sides with UP reporting marks, as those of 24011 above. It was also retrieved from the wreck site, taken to Denver and rebuilt.

It seems odd that Tiffany reefers keep showing up in UP paint schemes as late as 1902, when the Trumbull management had run just about every other piece of rolling stock through the paint shop, painting out the UP markings and applying "The Colorado Road" lettering scheme.

Derrell discussed C&S AERs which showed the Trumball management aware that the inherited Tiffanys needed rebuilding -- the five new big reefers from St Charles in 1899 were insufficient and not well suited to the South Park Division's track, pretty much confined to Clear Creek service.  

The surviving Tiffanys were rebuilt in late 1902 and 1903, probably painted orange with black "The Colorado Road" lettering applied after rebuilding (a few before rebuilding, too).

Since everyone on the C&S knew that the Tiffanys were slated to have an extensive rebuild, when funds allowed, they were apparently allowed to continue running in trains in their old UP livery for a while.

Jim