Unusual ribbed SP PC&F 60' boxcar

In 1976-77 SP received a batch of 60’ sliding door boxcars from PC&F, which the railroad designated B-100-39. What’s so usual about these cars is the exterior plating between the boxcar’s ribbing. This arrangement is very usual for a externally-braced car, and different from the waffle-plated boxcars. Aside from the SP cars, I’ve never seen boxcars with this type of rib arrangement. Did any other railroad or shipper have cars of this type, or is the particular class unique to SP?

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/box/b100-39.htm

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=55654

You mean the Popsicle-stick cars?

That was the only batch built like that, but a few cars went to other railroads from the SP. Some were relettered for Golden West Service (GVSR). Others went to the Arkansas & Missouri (AM), and a couple even went to Conrail. If it weren’t so close to my bedtime, I’d research some series. Might just do that for a later post.

It is actually not plating. In the photo linked below, you can see that the inside of the walls go out.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1662224

Here are the dispositions I found for cars in SP series 654500-654699 (200 cars originally):

Up to 45 cars to GVSR 139000-139044 (none currently exist; they may have been restored to their SP numbers).

Two cars to CR 222702-222703 in late 1995 (these no longer exist; they were not relettered NYC).

Six cars to AM 1700-1705 in late 1996 (these cars no longer exist).

Eight cars to IOCR 4000-4006 and 4008 in mid-1998.

One car to HPJX 60113 in early 2000.

Of the 200 original cars, only 57 still exist in the SP series. Kind of surprising for fairly new cars with a high interior volume and double sliding doors.