During the transition Era how far off line would you see boxcars
For Example Would a Union Pacific be seen on the B&O and vice versa
Basically anyplace in North America. Canada for sure, Mexico service had restrictions - sometimes the box car might not return. If a freight car was in interchange service - it could go anywhere - as long as the owner(UP) got paid his ‘per diem’ every day that the car was not on UP rails.
Some cars were in restricted sevrice, and private owner cars(reporting marks ending with ‘X’) usually ran on assigned routes. The ower paid for both the load and empty move - But he could ‘control’ the car as well.
Jim
If a SP flat car had a load from San Fransisco that had to go to NY, then you would see a SP flatcar in NY.
This is what makes it easy to mix different cars with in your layout.
Boxcars were the most wide-ranging of any car type. Unless the car was designated for certain customers, you’d find boxcars traveling from coast to coast, and to country borders and beyond. Specialty cars, especially those carrying low-value commodities, didn’t usually travel far.
Thanks for all the replies
In the '57-'59 era I recall seeing one or two N de M and Alaska RR cars in southern Michigan.
Just to give you an example.
I model the Reading, so ex-Reading stuff catches my eye. Some of the ex-Reading lines were taken over by the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern (RBMN). It is not uncommon to see RBMN hoppers of anthracite coal going to and from Idaho passing through Omaha, NE.
See my column “Interchange takes freight cars anywhere,” The Operators in the April 2011 Model Railroader, for more on this. I included a couple of photos showing how widely boxcars and some other types could roam.
So long,
Andy