Question About 50' Box Cars With "DF" on the Sides...?

[Kisatchie]

I have a number of 50' box cars marked with DF (damage free) on the sides. Does that mean the box cars merely have inside restraints for freight, or does it mean the cars have cushioned underframes?

If this is a dumb question, then I am SOOOO embarrassed.


Hmm... I put a "kick me"
sign on Kiz's back, and
he still hasn't noticed...

[wcfn100]

DF is just the restraints IFAIK.

While it's very common for 50' car to have cushioned under frames, there were many 40' cars that had DF markings too and they didn't have special frames (from what I've seen).

The reality may be that all 50' cars with DF (or similar devices) did have cushioned frames, I still think that's separate from the actual "DF" markings.

Jason

[Kisatchie]

...The reality may be that all 50' cars with DF (or similar devices) did have cushioned frames, I still think that's separate from the actual "DF" markings.

Thanks for your reply. I'm trying to figure out how many MTL trucks w/extended couplers I'll need if the DF cars do indeed have cushioned underframes. Here's hoping they don't. LOL.


Hmm... all my "DF" cars
have airbags installed...


 

[wcfn100]

My guess is that you'l find early 50' car with sliding doors without cushioned frames.  But as you get to the 60's RBL and like car with flush doors, many of those will need it.

One of my 237 projects is to copy the Kadee 50' PS-1 cushioned frame to make an Athearn/MTL replacement.  And hopefully someday companies like ESMC will be in a position to sell their frames separately.  Bryan has two different cushioned frames for his X58s.  I picked up two cars just for the frames.  Always hurts paying $20 for something that should cost $3, but that's where we are.

Jason

[GaryHinshaw]

Let me Google that for you.

[wcfn100]

Let me Google that for you.

Waste of time.

Jason

[GaryHinshaw]

I have a number of 50' box cars marked with DF (damage free) on the sides. Does that mean the box cars merely have inside restraints for freight, or does it mean the cars have cushioned underframes?

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1868613:

Inside the cars were solid doors and were on a track that could be secured against the load so it would not shift during transit. Also, there were load bars that were at right angle to the load also to secure it from movement.

So, it's a load restraint system that is independent of cushion under frames.  It's a case-by-case question whether a given DF car has extended draft gear. 

In case it wasn't obvious Jason, I'm not trying to devalue your contributions; my point is that Kiz could have answered his initial question with 3 minutes of Google'ing, then he could have asked a more subtle question about a specific car.  Sorry to be so blunt about it.

[wcfn100]

I'm not trying to devalue your contributions; my point is that Kiz could have answered his initial question with 3 minutes of Google'ing, then he could have asked a more subtle question about a specific car.

I get that, but it should be okay to ask any train related question here regardless of how many times it's been answered somewhere else.  Or WTF is the point? Or IOW, that google search should come here, not the other way around.

Maybe TRW should be reduce to a single "N Scale Modeling only" thread and we can all await the 10 posts a week.   




Jason

[Kisatchie]

I'd much rather ask a question that a fellow modeler knows the answer to than to Google it and get thousands of mostly irrelevant replies.


Hmm... I once Googled
"what's the best shade of
yellow for a banana," and
I didn't know what to
believe...

[GaryHinshaw]

Sorry I mentioned it - carry on.

[Spikre]

 
   in the intrest of carrying on,
   Kiz,
   there are 2 issues of RP CYC that cover some of these items in depth:
  RP CYC-9,Pullman Compartmentizers and their use in Boxcars and Reefers.
  RP CYC-15,General American-Evans GAEX/GARX RB Leased Boxcars,these
  started in the early 50s with Sliding Doors,then about 1955 were Up-Graded
  with Plug Doors.many Roads leased the cars in the 50s,then some bought them
  in the 60s.early use of Load Restraints and Cushioned Underframes.
  and if nothing else are interesting reading.
  going to www.rpcyc.pub.com will bring up the contents of all 28 issues to date.
    Spikre
   
     

[wcfn100]

One of the good things about those 50' DF cars is that they seem to pretty to find pictures of.  And a lot of the schemes used on the models are published photos.  So I think you could narrow down most of the cars you have questions about.  I think some of this can be figured out through the ORER as well.  The CGW car I posted in another thread has a 50' inside length but 55' overall.

If it's a midwest car, I can probably find out if it had a cushioned under frame.  Just let me know the car.


Jason

[nkalanaga]

The Milwaukee had DF and other such markings on a lot of non-cushioned cars, including several groups of 50 ft horizontal ribbed cars. 

The GN had cars with load restraints but no cushioning, cars with cushioning but no load restraints, and cars with both.  They also had a few cars with restraints but no markings, just a class code of XL instead of XM.

And Dee's right, airbags were one form of load restraint, although I've never seen a car stenciled "airbag equipped".

My suggestion would be to forget Google and go to the main rail photo sites.  Start by looking up the number series of the car you have, and see if there are pictures of similar cars.

I imagine most members have these bookmarked, but for anyone who doesn't, these are the photo sites I use:
The Canadian Freight Railcar Gallery, which isn't just Canadian by any means:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/

George Elwood's Fallen Flags site, which again isn't all lallen flags:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/

RailcarPhotos.com, which seems to be primarily modern photos.  I use this the least of the four.
http://www.railcarphotos.com/

Railroad Picture Archives, probably the most comprehensive of the bunch, and the easiest to search by number.  They have a page for each road listed by number ranges, in groups of 100.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/railroadList.aspx
And, for those who use the site, I notice they finally fixed the Union Pacific's "Car# Range" option.  That was the only road that I tried that never worked!

[Kisatchie]

...The GN had cars with load restraints but no cushioning, cars with cushioning but no load restraints, and cars with both....

And Dee's right, airbags were one form of load restraint, although I've never seen a car stenciled "airbag equipped".

Well, since GN had those combinations of load restraints/cushion underframes, I guess it won't hurt if my DF cars are considered non-cushioned underframes.


Hmm... nyaaa nyaaa, I
told you cars had airbags,
Kiz. Doubt me, will you...!

[cv_acr]

In particular, the "DF" refers to a specific type or brand of load restraints fitted to the car.

You see other types of these markings on various cars as well. (DF, DF_B, CP, LD, LP, etc.)