RR Boxcar for delivering Fire Apparatus - 1947

[YeOldeEnjine]

I recently was given some negatives for the 1940's. In this group was an envelope marked "Huge Boxcar 08/14/47

 

The photo appears to have been taken at the Western Maryland Freight House in Cumberland, MD.

 

After asking for information on a Railway Preservation website, I was given the following information.

 

PRR Class X-30, 59861. Inside Length: 70'6" Inside Height: 10'0"
There was exactly one of these. It was used specifically to transport fire engines from American LaFrance in Elmira NY. Full width doors on the 'A' end allowed even the longest ladder trucks of the day to be carried inside.

 

Further searching found this photo of a couple of 700 series ALF's being unloaded in Cumberland.

http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/new_site/...m?pic=1513

 

 

 

   

Photo Credit to the Original Photographer

[rescue2]

WOW, who would have thought! Thanks for the info

[Roto-Ray]

Great history, Tim!

[hank]

Good photo!

 

tHANKs

[jwh]

I seem to remember seeing a picture of a ladder truck being delivered to Rochester NY in an end-loading train car. Probably from the same time frame.


Only thing is, I think it was a Pirsch truck, as that was the truck of choice for Rochester FD at the time. With ALF in Elmira about 100 miles away, I don't think a train ride would be practical.


Hope I can find that picture.


John in Rochester NY

[TacSupport1]

Very cool!

[fyreline]

Here is Youngstown, Ohio's American LaFrance JOX Aerial being unloaded from the boxcar:

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://s5.photobucket.com/user/fyreline/media/imagejpg1_zpseeca0347.jpg.html"></a>

[Guest]

Here is Youngstown, Ohio's American LaFrance JOX Aerial being unloaded from the boxcar:

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://s5.photobucket.com/user/fyreline/media/imagejpg1_zpseeca0347.jpg.html"></a>

 

Note: This is not the same boxcar as the original one posted.  If you will note the first one is more of the traditional square construction for box cars.  This one is what was called a wagon top due to the curvature of the top that represented the look of a horse wagon.  The Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania were big users of this design. 

 

Also of note is that the modern railroad car used to deliver automobiles today did not come around until the 1960's.  Enclosed versions did not appear until the late 70's.  Auto's were delivered in box cars like those shown above when the auto craze kicked off and remained that way until the first auto racks were designed in the 1950's.

 

From my minor research it seems like most fire apparatus delivered to customers over a few hundred miles from the plant traveled by boxcar until the 50's.  By the mid 1950's it seems most deliveries were handled over the road.

 

Kris

[fyreline]

I certainly agree that there was more than one boxcar used for the delivery of over length trucks, particularly fire apparatus. I have seen photographs of manufacturers other than American Lafrance delivering their larger aerial ladder trucks this way, including both Seagrave and Peter Pirsch. In fact, my own city (Syracuse) received a 1941 Seagrave 100' TDA in this manner.

[fyreline]

Here's another boxcar-unloading shot, this one in Milwaukee in 1950. Same boxcar as the JOX, or not? The roof looks more like the original post boxcar to me.

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://s5.photobucket.com/user/fyreline/media/imagejpg1_zps3f1703cb.jpg.html"></a>

[Guest]

Here's another boxcar-unloading shot, this one in Milwaukee in 1950. Same boxcar as the JOX, or not? The roof looks more like the original post boxcar to me.

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://s5.photobucket.com/user/fyreline/media/imagejpg1_zps3f1703cb.jpg.html"></a>

Looking at the double rivet pattern on the side panels and counting the number of panels compared to the logo along with the roof I'm inclined to believe it is one in the same as the first car pictured.

 

Kris

[Guest]

I was going through a Los Angeles centered site this evening and found this pic of another rail car delivering a couple of rigs. Just the end of the car is showing.  No word as to which FD these rigs were destined.  Credit to the USC Digital Library