Paint Shop - 25 : Western Railway of Alabama Boxcar 17252, part 2

: WA17252

Here are the data of the car and a belief history of the railroad.

WA 17250 - 17266 series boxcars:
These cars were built in 1956 by Pullman-Standard.

The WA series 17250 to 17266 is shown with AAR Designation XM and description “Box, Stl.” only. The inside length of these cars was 50 feet 6 inches, inside width 9 feet 2 inches, inside height 10 feet 5 inches, outside length 54 feet 4 inches, extreme height 15 feet, door opening 9 feet, and capacity 4844 cubic feet or 110,000 pounds. There are 9 cars in the April 1974 ORER. But accompanied with 6 cars 17250, 17254, 17255, 17257, 17259 and 17265 with “Interior Showing Fixtures”.

Western Railway of Alabama (reporting mark WA) connected Atlanta and Montgomery jointly with the Atlanta & West Point Railroad.
Montgomery Railroad incorporated in 1832 is the root of WA. The railroad reached West Point in 1851 and created the Atlanta–Montgomery connection known as the “West Point Route” with A&WP.
In 1870, the line from Montgomery west to Selma was completed, and the consolidation of Western Railroad of Alabama was also completed.
In 1881, the line was leased to Central of Georgia and Louisville & Nashville along with Georgia Railroad and A&WP.
In 1983, the 3 lines, WA, GA and A&WP, were absorbed into the Seaboard System. The line is now part of CSX network.

The map below is the part of “Union Pacific Map of the United States” printed in 1971, with the WA route traced in red line by the author.

: WA route map


以下に、該当車両の概要、およびWestern Railway of Alabamaの簡単な歴史を記す。

WA 17250 - 17266 series boxcars:
AARによる分類：XM
内寸：長手50フィート6インチ、 短手9フィート2インチ, 天井高10 フィート５インチ
外寸：長手54フィート４インチ、 最高高さ15 フィート、扉開口幅９フィート
容積：4844 立方フィート／110,000 パウンド
15両在籍（April 1974 ORER）

Western Railway of Alabama
1832年に、Alabama州MontgomeryおよびGeorgia州Atlantaをつなぐ目的で設立されたMontgomery Railroadをルーツとする鉄道である。1851年に州境の町West Pointまで全通し、Atlanta & West Point Railroadと接続することで、ようやく設立時の目的を果たすことができた。その後長らくCentral of Georgia の傘下にあったが、1983年にSeaboard Systemに吸収合併された。路線の一部は現在もCSXとして残存している。

地図は、筆者の手元にあった1971年発行のUnion Pacificによる全米路線図上で、該当路線をなぞったものである。