Does anyone know if the Thrall All-Door box car has as a cushioned or standard underframe? I caannot tell from the pictures that I have seen.
They have end of car cushion units.
Railcar guy
Coushioning units
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/128681/1455882.aspx
The above link is to a Model Railroader Forum Thread titled
“56’ Thrall all door cars”
Contains information and a number of photo links to Thrall all-door style cars.
Hard to believe, but the few all-door cars remaining are probably on their last legs, getting close to the 40-year age limit. Due to the fact that just about anything worked better than these (and thanks to plastic wrap!), I doubt that much was done to extend their lives beyond 40.
I’m wondering whether some of these cars did not have any cushioning at all. Structurally, they have more in common with bulkhead flat cars than with box cars. I know of a large number of LU cars that were cut down to flats and are being used in welded-rail service. I would think that end-of-car cushioning would be somewhat undesirable in this service. Would the cushioning have been able to be removed quickly and cheaply?