I was looking at some of my rolling stock and just realized some of the cars have the marking of a rectangle with “Plate C” printed on the sides. I also have one that says “plate E”. Can someone tell me what this means? How many different ones are there? Also what does “DF” mean on a box car?
Thanks,
Tom.
Refers to the height of the car above the railhead:
Plate B - 15’1"
Plate C - 15’6"
Plate E - 15’9"
Plate F - 16’0"
Plate H - 20’2" (Double Stacks)
(source - April 2001 Offical Railway Equipment Register)
I think the DF means “Damage Free”
Don Z.
Thanks for the information
Quick and dirty - “Plate,” in this context, refers to the cross-sectional clearance diagram within which the car will fit - a shape roughly like the NMRA HO standards gauge. In addition to overall height, there are dimensions for side clearance at various heights.
“DF” is short for, “Damage-Free,” and refers to soft, long-travel coupler draft gear. A real DF car should have a long extension supporting the coupler on each end, which (on the prototype)moves about three times the standard distance forward and backward to absorb slack action.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)