Is there a website where I can determine what types of rolling stock were in use in the 1950’s?
BB
There are several, but none will have everything you need.
Probably the best general freight car resource anywhere, on or offline, is the NEB&W website (http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/) It’sd a pay site, but for the cost of a monthly magazine, you’ll end up with FAR more modeling and historical data than you’ll be able to read in a month’s time! The site deals heavily with 1950s modeling and proto data, and their freight car section is second to none. It contains rosters, statistics, photos, blueprints, and more general history than you’ll be able to take in all at once. It has made me a MUCH better modeler and rail historian.
Other than the NEB&W sites, there’s the STMFC Yahoo Group. It’s the proto modeler’s paradise, with hundreds of serious proto modelers all sharing historical data and modeling techniques. While the members are a bit snooty, the data that the site’s archives contain is priceless, and well worth searching. Use the NEB&W site for general information, and the STMFC site for specific car data.
There are a lot of smaller, more targeted sites out there, geared towards individual railroads. Once you’ve got a good grounding of the basics, do simple Google searches for specific sites.
In addition to Ray’s excellent suggestions, the various historical societies often have roster information by year. Plan on joining the society to access to that information due to the amount of effort it took to assemble the data.
Also check Atlas, Branchline, Kadee, Red Caboose, Bowser websites for date information on thier frieght cars
You might find it useful to purchase a copy of an Official Railway Equipment Register
The National Model Railroad Association has a reprint of one of the 1953 editions for $36.95 (non Member price), $26.95 (member price) http://www.nmra.org/
July 1950, January 1955 and January 1959 are available on CD from Westerfield. They are $20.00 each. http://www.westerfield.biz/
The ORER lists the cars that the railroads and private car owners have in service. It gives info such as car type, road number, dimensions, door number and dimensions,capacity, special features It also lists junctions and freight interchanges.