Box Cars

Boxcar 1005 at
Nevada State Railroad Museum,
Carson City

 

January 1873 The first box cars arrive (these would be the Central Pacific (Sacramento) built outside braced boxcars (1001 - 1009 odd numbered). They are painted yellow.
10 July 1874 New box cars arrive (1011 & 1013). These were painted yellow.
April 1908 Box car 1003 was converted into Construction Dinning car No. 6 at a cost of $441.58.

 

JANUARY 3 1873 Virginia Evening Chronicle

New Freight Cars

The Virginia and Truckee Railroad Company this
morning received the first of twenty new box cars
recently built for our local road.

The new cars are painted yellow, and are so arranged
that they can be either closed up tight or thrown open
for the transportation of live stock.

 

Boxcar 1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009

The five box cars 1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009 were built by CPRR (Central Pacific RailRoad) in their Sacramento shop.
These box cars were delivered with the C.P./California truck.
All of these trucks appear to have had the leaf spring rather than coil springs.

These boxcars were (and one is) ventilated boxcars.
They were called combination boxcars.
The term was well in use by the time the V&T received its examples, probably dating to the 1840s or 50s.

They were sheet iron, either all the way up or down.
The upper vents also had covers, which were inside.
They were hinged at the top and folded upward toward the roof.
Looks like they were made of wood. Would be closed in cold weather on the CP.
The V&T hauled hay in the cars, so not sure how they used the covers.

A ~1876 photo of a V&T ventilated boxcar taken by Watkins shows the lower vent cover in the up position.
The cover slide up and down in groves.

There's a photo of a CP car on the Crown Point Trestle (Crockwell, 7/31/1889) with the lower vent covers in the up position.
It looks like the upper vents might be in the down position. The side door is open and a man is standing in the doorway.

The five CP built cars appear to have kept the "California" or Central Pacific trucks
until they were detrucked and put on the ground.

Detrucked

1001 and 1005 were placed at Carson and Scales.
1003 was the last to be detrucked, as construction #6 it was grounded at Reno.
1007 and 1009 were treated a little different.
1007 were placed at Browns and 1009 at Huffakers as a loading platform and storage sheds.
Roadway Completion Report (Valuation report) " Aug. 1917 Huffakers -- New Platform"
"Box car shelter on 8 -- 8"X 8" X 4' posts"
"3/4 of Body removed. ( There is a similar sheet for Browns) and a map showing it in place.

Retrucked

1001, 1005 and 1007 were retrucked when they were sold for movie work all using Kimball trucks.
1007 already having 3/4 of the body cut off was a natural for conversion to the blacksmith car.
1009 seems not to have been heard from again.

Today

1005 is again on the proper trucks. On display at Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City.

 

 

Boxcar 1003

April 1908: Box car 1003 was converted into Construction Dinning car No. 6 at a cost of $441.58.

1003 was the last to be detrucked, as construction #6 it was grounded at Reno.

 

Boxcar 1005

The underframe timbers on the 1005 are:
Center Sills, 4" x 7" with 9" space between sills.
Intermidate sills, 4" x 7", 58" outside to outside.
Side sills, 5 1/4" x 7 3/4".
End sills, 4 3/4" x 7 1/2" (could be 7 3/4").
These measurements were taken before the car was rebuilt at NSRM and can be different from the rebuilt car.
The 1005 had a double wood roof with drain groves.

The rebuilt V&T box car 1005 should match the yellow ochre. The color matches some original paint that was found on the car during reconstruction.

 

Boxcar 1011, 1013

V.C. Chronicle 7/11/1874 New Box cars.

One of the new box cars built in the East for the V&TRR Co., arrived at the depot in this city yesterday morning.
These cars are much higher than those on the C. P. and are to be used for carrying hay, having a capacity of 68 bales.

 

Box cars 1011 and 1013 was bult by Wells French.

These 2 box cars were painted yellow (ochre?) when they arrived.

When the V&T bought the WF cars 1011 and 1013, they were to be used mostly for hauling hay to VC.
The 1011 & 1013 could carry 68 bales or 8 tons of hay.

1011 and 1013 had the original type of trucks when they went to the movies.

 

Boxcar 1015

The following texts are from the Dale Darney Collection and Research.

On July 7th 1906 the V. & T. Railroad received Chicago & Northwestern boxcar No. 39010
at Moundhouse with sacked ore from Tonopah,
consigned to the Butters Mill at Virginia City.
The Butters Plant was located in Six Mile Canyon just below Virginia City
and was served by an aerial tram with an ore dump on the C. & C. side track
just beyond tunnel (#8#) under the Chollar waste dumps near the V. & T. Roundhouse.

Master of Transportation, made this entry in his notes viz:
July 7 1906 A. M. Ardery note book:
CN&W box (sic) with ore from Tonopah would not clear in chollar tunnel.
dimensions 40 ft long - 14 ft over rail - 8 ft 3 wide. 

With the problem at Virginia City apparently solved,
box car #39010 was taken to the Gypsum mill (the old Mexican ore mill) at Empire,
between Mound House and Carson,
to be loaded with sacked Gypsum for shipment to San Francisco.
Box car #39010 would never get to San Francisco as noted again by A. M. Ardery.

July 13 1906, A. M. Ardery note book:
C&NW 39010 loaded with sacked gypsum at Empire
caught fire at end door near Andersons today, local train #3
All attempts control fire failed.
Cut car off, took to long siding Reno where with assistance Reno fire department, fire put out.
Car box top, side and end total loss.
Load damaged.
Ordeered load transferred and car taken to S. P. shops. (at Sparks)

July 13 1906, Territorial Enterprise Virginia City:
A Car is Burned. - When the local train was a short distance from Reno yesterday forenoon
acar containing lime was discovered on fire,
and the train was rushed to the city limits of Reno,
where an alarm was sounded and the fire department called out.
Most of the wood work was destroyed before the fire was extinguish.

2 August 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. H. STROMBERG,
S. P. car inspector.
RENO, Nevada.

Dear Sir:-
Noting your advice of yesterday to our Mr. Ardery relative to the injury by fire to
C&NW. car No. 39010 while on this road;
kindly see that it's placed in the S. P. Co.'s Shops for repair under its rules and we
will pay the bill on presentation.

Yours very truly
H. M. Yerington


Car repair in the large new car repair shops at Sparks should have gone quickly
and without any major problems but this was not to be the case with C&NW #39010.
H. M. Yerington could get little satisfaction in response to his inquiries as to its progress.

10 August 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. T. R. Jones,
Supt. Sacramento Division, S. P. Co.
Sacramento, Calif.

Dear Sir:-
Recently car C. & N. W. No. 39010 was damaged by fire on this line near Reno
station and we requested the Reno Car inspector to have it placed in your shops
at Sparks for repair under MASTER CAR Builders rules and we would promptly
make settlement on receipt of bill; we now understand that they are averse to
accepting car at Sparks for some reason, although it is there. I should very much
appreciate it if you would issue the necessart instructions that this car may be taken
in and required repairs made at our expense. Anticipating your favorable
consideration of this request forwhich I beg to thank you, I remain.

Your very truly
H. M. Yerington


Failing to get satisfaction, Yerington sought assistance from a higher level.

20 August 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. H. Small,
Genl. Supt. Motive Power S.P.Co.
San Francisco, Calif.

Dear Sir:-
July 13th. last C. & N.W. Box Car No. 39010 was injured by fire near Reno station
and on the day following it was delivered to your line with request that it be sent to your
Sparks shop for repairs and bill rendered this company.
Under a strict interpretation of M.C.B. rules, we presumer, the Sparks' people declined
to make the repairs and I then called upon your Superintendent, he referred me to you
for the necessart authority. I am therefore impelled to ask your good offices in out behalf
to the end that you will instruct that repairs be made at the shops of your Company at
Sparks and that the bill be rendered this company for the same, which we will promptly
meet on presentation. Thank you for your courtesy in the premises and a reply be return
of mail, I remain.

Your very truly
H. M. Yerington


Still without satisfaction, he went even higher!

10 September 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. E. C. Manson,
Supt. S.P.Co.
San Francisco, Calif.

Dear Sir:-
Pardon me for again inflicting you, for we are seeking the light and after having
written innumerable letters we are as much in the dark as to what is to be done
with car C. & N.W. 39010 as in the beginning. We having no advice from your
Motive Power Department as intimated we would in yours of 29th. ultimo. Will
you kindly give this matter your attention that we may ascertain just shat we may
expect and very much oblige.

Yours very truly
H. M. Yerington


18 September 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. Robt. Quayle
Supt. Motive Power, C. & N. W. Ry.
Chicago, Ill. (WILL BILL @ $308.74)

Car C.& N. W.39010 - Bad Order.

Dear Sir;-
This to advise you that on July 13th. box car C. & N. W. No. 39010 caught
fire from a spark from an engine while in our train, the roof boards were
decayed and owing to dry conditions of the wood the fire spread so rapidly
it could not be controlled and the box is practically a total loss, the body
was not damaged except side sills which are charred slightly at the side doors.
As has been our practice for many years, we delivered the car to the Southern
Pacific Co. at Reno with instructions to repair and render bill therefore to this
company, one month later it returned the car to us at Reno with advice that
owing to large amount of local work in hand it could not undertake the
rehabilitation of this car, we then made application to the Oregon Short Line
to do the needful (sic) and just now learn from it that its shops are overcrowded
with work, and hence we must apologize for the delay in making this report, and
requesting a basis for settlement, for as indicated above it has been our custom
for more than twenty-five years to have the S.P.Co. arrange for and do the repair
work on foreign cars when injured in the service of this Company.
I shall thank you to give us an early appraisement of the value of the car pricing
it as low as you can, for it is quite likely that it will be preferable for us to retain
what is left rather than have it repaired.

Yours very truly

H. M. Yerington


18 September 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. Robt. Quayle
Supt. Motive Power, C. & N. W. Ry.
Chicago, Ill. (WILL BILL @ $308.74)

Car C.& N. W.39010 - Bad Order.

Dear Sir;-
This to advise you that on July 13th. box car C. & N. W. No. 39010 caught
fire from a spark from an engine while in our train, the roof boards were
decayed and owing to dry conditions of the wood the fire spread so rapidly
it could not be controlled and the box is practically a total loss, the body
was not damaged except side sills which are charred slightly at the side doors.
As has been our practice for many years, we delivered the car to the Southern
Pacific Co. at Reno with instructions to repair and render bill therefore to this
company, one month later it returned the car to us at Reno with advice that
owing to large amount of local work in hand it could not undertake the
rehabilitation of this car, we then made application to the Oregon Short Line
to do the needful (sic) and just now learn from it that its shops are overcrowded
with work, and hence we must apologize for the delay in making this report, and
requesting a basis for settlement, for as indicated above it has been our custom
for more than twenty-five years to have the S.P.Co. arrange for and do the repair
work on foreign cars when injured in the service of this Company.
I shall thank you to give us an early appraisement of the value of the car pricing
it as low as you can, for it is quite likely that it will be preferable for us to retain
what is left rather than have it repaired.

Yours very truly

H. M. Yerington


29 September 1906, H. M. Yerington Papers

Mr. C. A. SCHROYER
Supt:,Car Dept., C. & N. W. Ry.
Chicago, Ill. (WILL BILL @ $308.74)

Car C.& N. W.39010 - Bad Order.

Dear Sir;-
Acknowledgning receipt of your very courteous favor File No. 6. of 25th. ult. naming
$308.74 as the appraised value of C. & N. W. car No. 39010 partially destroyed by
fire on this line July 13th. last. This price is satisfactory to us and this will authorize you
to bill on us for $308.74 to cover and which will have immediate attention on receipt.
Thaning you for your kind attention to our requests, I remain
Yours very truly

H. M. Yerington



Box car #39010 was repaired at the V. & T.'s Carson shops and became Virginia & Truckee #1015.

October 1 1906. V. & T. R. R. Inventory ledger


C. & N. W. Box Car -- Org Number 39010 - Now V. & T. #1015.
badly injured by fire July 13 1906.Length 40-7in. width 8'-3". Weight 31,000 lbs.
Paid C. & N. W. $308.74 Paid for repairs $324.15


1910. V. & T. ROLLING STOCK LEDGER

#1015 Rebuilt C. & N. W. Box Car -Oct. 1 1906 - Partially destroyed by fire and purchased.


V. & T. Box car No. 1015 is currently at the Nevada State Railroad Museum waiting it's turn for restoration.

[From Manx Quarterly #20 1919]

THOMAS QUAYLE.

Died 23rd April, 1918,

Mr Thomas Quayle, nonagenarian sire of a family prominent in Oak Park and Chicago, passed away on 23rd April at his home, 229 North Harvey-avenue. He had passed his 90th birthday anniversary, and his mental and physical condition were still good. Mr Quayle was born on 21st January, 1828, in the Isle of Man. In 1840 he came to Chicago with his family, and in 1871 bined the Chicago and North Western Railroad in the passenger car department, where he remained until 18 years ago, when he retired from active business. For the last 26 years he had made his home in Oak Park. Impressive funeral services were conducted at the Cuyler Avenue Methodist Church.-Mr Quayle is survived by two sons, Robert Quayle, of Oak Park (general superintendent of motive power of the Chicago and North Western Railroad), and William Quayle (a master mechanic of the same concern at Green Bay, Wis.); three daughters, Misses Annie and Lizzie Quayle, and Mrs P. M. Watterson, of 306 North Elmwood-avenue; twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Mrs Quayle died twelve years ago.

The late Mr Thomas Quayle was a brother of the late Mr J. Quayle, a gentleman who some thirty years ago was prominent in Douglas circles.

 

1015 had its original trucks when it too was detrucked and the body sold ~1950

There were seven box cars owned by the V&T on the 1916 roster. 1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, and 1009 were built by CPRR, so had CPRR trucks as built.
1011 and 1013 were Wells, French built.

Hay and Box Cars

Kimball Manufacturing produced hay presses (and wool presses) as well as
railroad cars. They looked a lot like a large wine press,
with a box into which the hay was placed,
then a screw mechanism pushed the top of the box down to compress the hay.
A bail could weights up to 300 lbs, but most photos of San Francisco Bay scow schooners
show bales close to contemporary size. This would make sense, as the current
bales are about the limit for an man in good shape to handle alone.

The hay was baled.
It was always carried in box cars if possible as it was prone to catch fire from sparks from
the locomotive if it was exposed as it would be on a flat car.
A good photo of a load of hay (N&C) is on page 47 of Narrow Gauge Nostalgia.
There are two photos of very old field hay presses taken near Yerington.
These are very big, one is about 12 ft. high with a approx. 5 ft. wood bull wheel. 
The other is about eight ft. high  and except for gears, small  pulleys  and such ,
both are of very heavy wood construction.
Hay was brought from the hay fields on regular hay racks (wagons) and pressed.
These presses were not portable.

In the 1870 's and after,
hay was loaded at Reno, Andersons, Browns, Huffakers, Steamboat, Franktown,
Mills Station and in and around Carson. and later along the line to Minden.
Hay was one of the first crops to be planted and was the main crop of most farms in Washoe Valley and Eagle Valley.
  Most of these stations had hay sidings but hay was loaded on cars left on the main line for that purpose,
 the V&T did a lot of loading and off loading of hay and wood from the main line. 
The five smaller box cars were used for hay also.

Hay was grown up and down the Carson Valley, Eagle Valley, Walker Valley, etc.
It is probably that the two hay cars were sufficient for shipping from local hay sources.
Few people in Virginia and Gold Hill had their own horses, donkeys, etc.
The vast majority of such animals were housed in livery stables
and at the stables and corrals of the various teaming companies,
the omnibus line, the stage line, etc.
Two hay cars a day is a lot of hay for a rather small animal population.

I have a switch list dated 7/31/07 for train 4 from Reno that has 1013 hauling hay to Virginia City.
Box car 1011 is hauling "old lumber" to Gold Hill.
There are five other cars in the consist:
FGE 22898, T&NO 31038 & SP 86145 hauling Mdse to Ca,
 MH, GH & Va; OP&E 4569 hauling Lime to Va;
OP&E 4725 hauling Lbr to Ca.

Looking through the July - Oct 1877 Train Reports,
it lists one to three cars of hay going to either Gold Hill or Virginia every few days.
The book appears to be for the up trains from Carson to VC.
Most of the trains are double headers, with the exception of the Inyo,
which was the 12:15 and 5:00 train with up to five cars and coach 7 or 8 most likely.

  

Source of information: Mike Collins, Dale Darney, Jim Wilke.