I have been looking all over the internet to find what kind of rolling stock there was in the 1930’s and cant find anything. If someone know of a good website or something, that would be great. I am mainly looking for what kind of coal cars and what kind of grain cars were use in the 1930’s. I have found wood box and reefer cars that I know of but cant find grain and coal cars. If you could post a photo if you have any so I know what they look like.
Thanks
Try this site, a few of the cars pictured were built in the 1930’s or even earlier.
http://www.steamfreightcars.com/
Rensselaer Railroad Heritage Website:
A great site for information on railroad equip, architecture, period clothing, etc,etc: but you have to subscribe. Cost is as low as $5.00/month:
Well you did find at least part of what you were looking for. Grain in the 1930’s was hauled by boxcars…in fact covered hoppers weren’t the primary way of moving grain until the 1970’s. Into the 1960’s here in Minnesota ‘grain rush’ meant long trains of 40’ boxcars. Boxcars had “grain doors” that could be tacked up inside the door leaving just enough room at the top of the door opening for grain to be put inside. Flour would be hauled by sacks in boxcars.
Actually a hundred years ago, coal was also commonly shipped in boxcars. By the thirties 36’ and some 40’ open hoppers were used esp. in coal trains (i.e. like in Pennsylvania or West Virginia solid trains of coal) but many coal dealers - and there were a LOT of them, since the majority of houses, offices, schools etc. were coal heated - preferred coal in gondolas with opening floor hatches, because it was easier for them to unload those cars.
In 1937, the C&O published (presumably for its customers) a booklet detailing its freight car fleet, with diagrams and (heavily retouched) photographs. There were plenty of steel hopper cars (in fact, one might say that C&O was on its second generation of steel hoppers), as well as a fleet of 100-ton, six-axle gondolas for the coal trains to Tidewater.
Grain? As Stix said, 40-foot box cars. There were still some wooden cars around, but the majority were steel. Covered hoppers were invented (or perfected) during the 1930s, but they were primarily for cement at that point.
The C&O Historical Society reprinted the C&O’s book, along with historical comments on each series by a certain modest editor; it might still be available on E-Bay: look for it as Freight Car Equipment of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, August 1, 1937.
Not interested in C&O? I’d suggest looking for an Official Railway Equiopment Register from your era. They’re out there, and will offer fairly good descriptions of what each railroad was operating, and how many.
…I certainly am not an expert on car specs., but I saw plenty of steel coal hoppers in our area in the mid to late 30’s. I’m referring to southwestern Pennsylvania on the B&O hauling coal from many mines in the area. And of course being moved by steam pulling and pushing.