D&RGW XM #68998, #68635, and #unknown

: DRGW 68998

This D&RGW boxcar is found at Monte Vista, Colorado.

Here is a sample of pre-war D&RGW 40’ all-steel boxcars: according to Rio Grande Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment (MSCG), 4/5 Dreadnaught end proves the particular car as one of the 68900 – 69399 series boxcars built in 1941 by Pressed Steel Car. Barely read AX- prefix indicates that this car was in company service.


D&RGW 67500 – 69899 series Boxcars:
The Official Railway Equipment Register for July 1974 pushes both post-war cars and wartime cars into one series with 200 cars in place, described as follows:

The D&RGW series 67500 to 69899 is shown with AAR Designation XM and description “Box, Stl” only.

The inside length of these cars is 40 feet 6 inches, inside width 9 feet 2 inches, inside height 10 feet 4 inches, outside length 40 feet 6 inches, extreme height 15 feet and capacity 3850 cubic feet or 110,000 pounds.

According to MSCG, the 67500 – 69899 series XMs are consisted of five groups:
68000 – 68399 series XMs built by Pressed Steel Car in 1939,
68400 – 68899 series XMs built by Pressed Steel Car in 1940,
68900 – 69399 series XMs built by Pressed Steel Car in 1941,
69400 – 69899 series XMs built by Pressed Steel Car in 1942,
67500 – 67999 series XMs built by Pressed Steel Car in 1946.

: DRGW 68023, Sep. 1952 Railway Purchases and Stores Magazine
: DRGW 68998


Here is another, but a somewhat sad sample of pre-war D&RGW 40’ all-steel boxcar I found at Grand Junction, Colorado: D&RGW #68635 from the series 68400 – 68899 boxcars built by Pressed Steel Car in 1940.

: DRGW 68635
: DRGW 68635

Another boxcar, likely from the same series, is found in the same junkyard.

All photos are taken in Sep. 6, 2017.

revised, Jan. 14, 2020

: D&RGW #unknown


このRio Grandeオリジナルの番号を保つ貨車は、コロラド州Monte Vistaの町で見つけた。

妻面リブの形状および僅かに遺る番号から推測して、1941年Pressed Steel Car製、D&RGW 68900 – 69399 series XMの内の１両である。1974年版Official Railway Equipment Registerでは、先に紹介した1946年製67500 – 67999 series XMらと併せ、67500 – 69899 seriesとして括り扱われている。その全てがワークスK氏ご指摘の12パネル車である。微かに見える番号前の符号・AX-は事業用車に附す表記。


扉開口で二分割された車体はコロラド州Grand Junctionのジャンク・ヤードで見つけた。

同じ67500 – 69899 seriesに括られる1940年Pressed Steel Car製68400 - 68899 series XMの内の１両、D&RGW #68635である。

同所にあるもう１組も車体形状から推してやはり67500 – 69899 seriesの内の１両だろう。