LNAC XM #3003

: Corydon, IN. Sep. 10, 2019

This boxcar is found at the backyard next to the Lucas Oil Rail Line (reporting mark LORL) engine shed at Corydon, Indiana. Barely read markings indicate this car as LORL predecessor Louisville, New Albany & Corydon Railroad (reporting mark LNAC) XM #3003 (last number unreliable) with the paint date of WA 4-73. It also has NYNH&H marking on trucks.

According to the Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER), LNAC listed only two cars, a baggage/passenger car, and a flatcar for a long time. As far as I researched, the 1974 ORER is the first to list boxcars and reefers. But the particular car has a rather classic body style and trucks for a new car in the ’70s. Accordingly, this car can be assumed as secondhand.

But, searching NH roster in the earlier ORER with NYNH&H marking on the truck as a clue didn’t extract any NH boxcars carrying the same or near dimensions with those of LNAC boxcars.


George Irwin introduces an article, "A Buyer's Market" by Al Kresse on Mar. 2002 C&O Historical Magazine, in his Oct. 2019, Unofficial Micro-Trains Release Report. According to Kresse, in 1956, C&O made a good bargain of five hundred PS-1 single door boxcars with NYNH&H stamped trucks as C&O #21000 to 21499: NYNH&H canceled the order a year before.

The ORER shows the group C&O #21000 to 21499 with 490 cars in 1966, 485 cars in 1968, 477 cars in 1972, 471 cars in 1974, and 470 cars in 1975: 19 cars were condemned/sold between the late '60s and early '70s.

LNAC #3003 does have 7/7 welded side panels, 9' door, and NYNH&H stamped ASF Ride Control trucks which are the common appliances with the C&O cars[1, 2]. Regarding the dimensions, ILs are the same but the IWs, IHs, outside lengths, and extreme heights are a little different according to the 1974 ORER. Also, are the capacities.


Worthy of note is that the end, door, door rail, and sill of LNAC #3003 show the mark of replacement/rebuilt. The 1976 photo of LNAC #658 with the rebuilt date of 3-73, paint date of WA 3-73, and USRE (United States Railway Equipment Co.) logo-mark shows look-a-like appearance[3]. Accordingly, #3003 must have been also rebuilt at USRE Washington, Indiana factory the same year, and may have been rebuilt from one of the former C&O #21000 to 21499 series cars. The Differences of dimensions mentioned above can be considered as made through rebuilding.


LNAC 3001 – 3009 series boxcars
The ORER for July 1974 shows the group 3001– 3009 with 9 cars in place, described as follows:

AAR Designation XM and description “Box” only.

The inside length of these cars is 50 feet 6 inches, inside width 9 feet 2 inches, inside height 10 feet, outside length 54 feet 6 inches, extreme height 14 feet 5 inches and capacity 4630 cubic feet or 110,000 pounds.

All photos are taken on Sep. 6, 2019.

[1] 1996 photo of C&O #21439 found at Railroad Picture Archives web site;
[2] 2018 photo of C&O #21470 found at Railroad Picture Archives web site;
[3] 1976 photo of LNAC #658 (similar body style but 40’) at Railroad Picture Archives site;

: Corydon, IN. Sep. 10, 2019
　
　
インディアナ州CorydonにあるLucas Oil Rail Lineという専用線の機関庫脇に留置されている貨車である。この鉄道の前身であるLouisville, New Albany & Corydon Railroadは小規模ながら歴史ある会社で、かつては遊覧列車も運行していた。そのロゴマークなどがかすかに見える。

わずかに遺っている車番を含む系列は1974年版ORERに初めて登場するが、車体形状や台車から推して中古車だろう。筆者の推測では、この車の前身は、C&Oが1956年にプルマンから安く手に入れた500両に及ぶNH注文流れの内の１両である。