I hope this is the right forum. I was hoping someone might know the history behind the MTH Stock Car - 19th Century - Hicks Car No. 3896. Here is a link with picture:
http://www.railking1gauge.com/detail.asp?item=30-7165
I’ve done a large amount of Internet searching but just can’t hit on the right search I guess. Was Hick or Hicks and stock yard, railroad, what?
Thanks,
-Will
Yes this is the right forum:
Here is a synopsis of information from The American Railroad Freight Car by John H. White, Jr. The book also contains a photo of one of the innovative cars, which is a different design than the car model shown in the photo in your link.
Around the 1880s, there began a backlash to the animal brutality incurred in shipping livestock. So the household animal humane societies expanded their purview to cover livestock. This spawned an era of new, innovative stock cars to improve the safety and comfort of cattle in shipment. Henry C. Hicks of Minneapolis obtained three patents for such improvements and went on to start the Chicago based Hicks Humane Live Sock Car Company in 1884.
Hicks’ cars incorporated moveable decks, fold-up water pans, partitions, mangers, and hayracks. A water tank held water to supply the metal drinking pans, which were made with no sharp edges or corners.
Hicks’ company became part of the Consolidated Cattle Car Company before 1897, and was taken over by J.W. Street’s Western Stable Car Line in 1902.
Here is a link to an extremely informative article on the subject:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3943/is_199909/ai_n8877076
Bucyrus,
Thanks a ton for taking the time to respond. That is fabulous information and I’ll be putting a copy of that book on my Christmas list. Truly, the story couldn’t be better. You see my last name is Hicks so when I saw the car I had to purchase one to go along with my son’s first train set. Not only can I now tell him a little history of the car but fortunately it is a nice story about helping animals as well.
Warm regards,
-Will