I should know this, but someone please explain this.
I was told that a freight car has a life span of 50 years before it must be retired. Is this true?
I was also told that after 40 years, it must undergo a major overhaul and can’t be used in interchange service.
Will
I do not think the 50 year rule is still in effect. Either way with all the banging and slamming a freight car goes through in its life it is sure to be rebuilt or a major overhaul before the 50 years is up. More than likely it will be replaced before 50 years due to improvements and obsolescence.
Pete
The current rule is 40 years if no major frame rebuild has been done. I saw a line of older 100 ton grain hoppers on a siding a few years ago; stenciled with a ‘return to CP RR’ and the numbers ‘white’ lined. They were built in the late 60’s(ex SOO & MILW cars).
Jim
I still see E-L hopper cars and other fallen flag cars on the NS and CSX…
These cars dates back to the 60’s.
I took these pictures in Marion in '06.These cars was sitting on the NS/CSX interchange.
The AAR Rule 88 states that cars built prior to July 1, 1974 have a 40 year age limit unless rebuilt or comply with the requirements of the Extended Service Status. If one of these two are done, the car can remain in interchange service 50 years from the month and year that the car was built. I have not seen anything about an age limit for cars built after July 1, 1974.
Back in the late 1960s, a local tannery got raw hides in boxcars, at least one of which I clearly recall had a built date of 1919 (single sheathed car), so my guess is that the 50 year rule was then in effect. What I do not recall, probably because I was not fully aware, was whether the wheels had the ribbed back or the smooth back. But the trucks were friction bearing, as were a fair number of freight car trucks in the late 60s. I also do not recall if the cars had ACI labels but I bet they did.
Hide service has to be the last downgrade for a boxcar – there is no lower level of service to which it can be assigned. I am not sure whether they scrap them thereafter or just let the flies carry them off. My guess is that a hide service boxcar is virtually hobo-proof however.
Dave Nelson
in the wood car era freight cars had an average lifespan of about 15 years. many roads extended the lifespan with extensive rebuildings.
the introduction of steel underframes starting in the 1920s made higher capacities and longer useful lifespans possible.
In 1967, ACI (Automatic Car Identification) labels were approved but not mandatory. They became mandatory in 1970, but the system was abandoned in the late 1970s.
Mark
It depends also how the railway was operated. The QRL&PCo in Quebec City kept in service many of its original box cars from 1889 until its closure in 1959 as they did with all their passengers coaches. They were continually repaired to keep them in good order but were only used for local transit. These cars never went to interchange. The newer material from CN was used for that. I don’t know why they kept them so long and took the trouble to maintain them regularly, but sure the initial investment was paid a long time ago!
I remember seeing pictures from the 80’s in the Prairie showing CN wood braced box cars from the 20’s still in use for grain service in certain area.
Matt