HI all

Was up in Yulee Fla today chasing A773, the Fernandina Rocket when what did I see parked in the siding just south of the Yulee Yard? Three old beat up SCL and ACL boxcars. Looks like they may be using them for MOW storage. The numbers were pretty faded but the first one had an ACL circular logo and the words "Thanks for Using Coastline" but the faded number said SCL 625333. The second had the words "The Route" across the top and nothing else, but the hand spray painted number SCL 762929. It also had on the side of the truck SAL RR FS-2 and the number 2889. That was stamped on the top of the frame of the truck. A 3rd boxcar was SBD 976000..waffle side boxcar. And stenciled on it was "ROADWAY SERVICE".

I have posted the pictures on my personal website at http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-dobies

Look for a link on the left side of the page to Photo Albums and then look at the file called Seaboard.

So did I find anything good?

John

-- John Buckley (dragondog@juno.com), May 17, 2003

Answers

John, based on the additional scans you sent me showing closeups of SBD 976000, this car is from the former Atlanta & West Point 38200- 38299 series. SCL built 100 of these boxcars in 1973 at the Waycross shops for the A&WP (a member of the Family Lines, and merged when Seaboard System was created in 1983). SCL had its own group of similar cars, series 12578-12699 in class X-1-A.

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@att.net), May 22, 2003.

Nice catches John - it's unusual to find anything these days still with SCL reporting marks (and even rarer, ACL or SAL of course). The SCL 625333 is ex-ACL 25333, a class O-39-A boxcar built in 1966. It was common during the SCL years for cars to get a patch with just the SCL initials and new number without a full repaint job, just as you see many cars running around now with a CSXT patch. According to the SCL condensed roster book of 1975, SCL 762929 is ex-SAL 22907, a class AF-4 double-door boxcar built in 1948. The words "The Route" were part of the SAL slogan "The Route of Courteous Service," a common paint scheme SAL used in the 1950s. As for the SBD car, can't help with the history of that one - you'd have to do some "inspection" per Larry Platt's suggestions -

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@att.net), May 19, 2003.

When one finds old cars like this, if possible, they should look under the car on the center sill of the underframe. Most of the time, if it's not covered by dirt and grime, one can find the original reporting marks and road number stenciled on the center sill. Sometimes, I am sure, it's not always possible to get a look under the car, especially if the car is on RR or private property. I have personally looked under many cars in museums and found the original reporting marks and road numers.

If you get back up that way John and can get a look under these cars you may find good information for the SURVIVORS List. Good Hunting.

Larry Platt

-- Larry Platt (lbp49@yahoo.com), May 17, 2003.