To add a couple of thoughts to Peter’s notes, CPRs freight car numbers for tank
cars included cars in company service and those with regular freight service
numbers. I’m not asserting they were used for work other than company
service, just noting the car numbers. It seems implied there may have been
some occasional revenue use.
As I tried to work through the roster quickly, I discovered a few other quirks
that I hadn’t noticed before. So an incomplete and undetailed summary is as
follows (hopefully not too many errors):
- The 1927 MP14 shows cars in series 389000 through 389999, as well as water
cars in series 415002 through 415293 and “gas” tanks in series 400940 through
400990.
- 1938 & 1941 MP14 shows cars in series 389000 through 389989 (plus the two
oddball glass lined tanks No.30250 and no.30251), water cars in series from
415004 (415049 in 1941) through 415380, and Gas Transport cars in series 400101
to 400126 (400128 in 1941). The ‘41 MP14 includes the E&N listings for 2401
and 2412 to 2415.
- 1944 MP14 shows 389000 through 389989, water cars 415046 to 415380 (plus odd
balls 410384 and 410385-410387) and gas cars 400101 through 400128. The E&N
listing includes 2401 and 2412 to 2415, plus 2400 to 2411, 2310 & 2312.
- 1947 MP14 shows 389000 through 389989, water cars 415046 to 415281 (plus odd
balls 410384 and 410385-410387) and gas cars 400101 through 400128. The E&N had
fire fighting tanks 2310, 2312, 2313
- The 1955 MP14 shows 389000 through 389989, water cars 415000 to 415551, and
gas cars 400101 to 400130. Also the E&N had fire fighting car 2310 & 2313,
2400 & 2410, and 2412 and 2415.
- The 1965 MP14 includes fuel tanks 388000 to 388014, other tanks 389000 to
389989, Gas transport (1 car) 400129, water tanks 415001 to 415800, and “oil
storage” tanks 419000 to 419005.
Not an easy group of cars to untangle! I only found record of the E&N cars in
the later (1938+) rosters.
Anyhow, not sure when I will get to making more sense of all this. Will start
by returning to the CP Tracks issues on tank cars.
Re script lettering, CP 415833 still shows vestiges of the script running along
the length of the tank. As a general comment, the colour guide books are
based on the colour shots available and so not a particularly thorough
reference for every paint and lettering scheme, particularly in the earlier era
when the world was still in grayscale. . . . .
Rob Kirkham
From: mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2015 11:00 AM
To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [cpsig] prior number for CP 415833
Canadian railways in general did not have revenue tank cars. Tank cars in
revenue service were mostly privately owned fleets. This largely because tank
cars generally were used for hauling specific commodities and mixing cargos
resulted in contamination.
Both CN and CP operated tank cars largely used for OCS water haulage, Thes were
used as auxilliary water supplies for stem locomotives and other steam powered
cars. I have seen them trailing locos generally but also behind the tender on
a rotary snow plow or crane. In the railway OCS tank car fleet many old
tenders also were used to supplement tank cars bought out of private fleets.
Water cars frequently were in work train consists.
Now although railway tank cars were generally used only in OCS service there
are pictures of railway owned tank cars in revenue service. I can think of two
cases of the top of my head. CP hauling water for a plant with a frozen water
supply from a CPR water tank. Another shows CN cars unloading an oil cargo
from a great lakes tanker.
Other tank cars were seen in OCS oil or fuel services but these cars were
never, in my knowledge, used outside of Company service.
As for paint schemes, CP script or CPRail got on to some tank cars.
One final comment. Many of the water cars lost their top dome as they were not
needed once they were only used for water transport. These cars generally had
a platform with simple railing and a hatch on top.
So if you have company owned tank cars, they should generally not be at the
local fuel dealed delivering a load. More likely if this occurred, they would
be getting a load for OCS uses.
Peter
At 09:33 AM 13/06/2015, you wrote:
i'm always fearful of replying to a subject I know deadfully little about
(which is why I lurk grin!). But I had made a rather shocking discovery when
reading the CP Colour guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment by John Riddell.
Based on the sampling of tank cars in this book - they were all OCS service
cars, woth none in revenue service. (I also learned there was never a script
scheme so my H&D Canada painted up tank cars appear to be foobies ).
As I say it is only a sample of schemes in the book and obviously a book of
this historical nature isn't going to be total so there might have been tank
cars in revenue, but per the book they were most likely moving fuel oil to
various company consumers, and the odd service water car.
Michael
On Jun 13, 2015 12:49 AM, "DAVID LEECH d.leech@xxxxxxxxxx [cpsig]"
<cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Â
Rob,
I have found it listed in the 1985 Freight Equipment Roster, on page 22
under "Detailed List of Tanks, Work Equipment ...etc.
Doesn't help you as just says that it is a "WATER TANK - WQT - 415833.
Now you just need someone to tell you when it was moved from revenue
service so you 'might' have a clue as to it's original number and capacity.
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta
On 2015-06-12, at 8:13 AM, Robert rdkirkham@xxxxxxx [cpsig] wrote:
> thanks for the suggestion David, but no luck. What I really want is a
> gallons number for the tank so need to go back to the in service number
(pre
> re numbering in 4xxxxx series).
>
> Rob
>
Peter B. Bowers
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