Mix-n-match coil cars?

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

http://davidellias.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures\82387\Cubesmart%20026.JPG

So if you look closely, you’ll notice that this TFM Coil car’s cover is for use on NOKL cars. Is this an accident or is this car ex-NOKL?

2

Actually that’s quite common…My understanding is steel mills doesn’t keep the hoods(covers) separated and interchanges them at will.I seen NS and CSX hoods on AS RY coil cars…I’ve even seen a mix a AS RY hood and (say) a CSX hood on a CSX coil car.

You see coil cars are used in pool service like auto racks and auto part boxcars.

3

then why put the markings telling people wich car the hood go on?

4

To show ownership in case it needs repaired would be my guess-or with the high hopes the hood will stay with the car.

5

Back home in PA, there’s a jade green NYC coil car that hasn’t left that plant in…maybe ever.

There’s hoods for railroads that don’t even exist any more floating around there too. Lots of GTW and Chessie.

6

The covers are the same and physically interchangeable, so while they’re supposed to get back on the original car, the mills don’t seem to be all that careful sometimes, and hoods do get switched.

Back when coil cars had two covers instead of one large one, it was actually possible to see a car with three different roadnames on it. That said, MOST cars should have their appropriate hoods.

Here’s a C&O car with Conrail and GTW hoods:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=co306287&o=co

Here’s a modern CN car with an NS hood:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn187054&o=cn