N&W in 1903 -- New Cars

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ORDERS PLACED FOR LARGE NUMBER OF COAL CARS
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    To meet the constantly increasing growth of its coal traffic the Norfolk and Western railway has announced that it will build 500 new cars at its own shops, for fall delivery.  The cars will have a carrying capacity of 100,000 pounds and will  have frames of steel.  Double I-beam bolsters and truck frames of the barber* type will be used, with cast steel center plates.  The bottom will be constructed of copper.  The additional rolling stock will represent an outlay of about $500,000.
    Norfolk is one of the greatest coal distributing points on the Atlantic coast, and the trade is rapidly increasing in volume every year.  The Norfolk and Western has announced that it will continue to haul cars as the conditions justify.  The 500 new cars will be ready for service when the fall activity in shipping begins.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
July 30, 1903

[*John C. Barber developed the freight car truck that bears his name in the 1890's , and he shortly thereafter founded Standard Car Truck Co., which has developed a much refined version that is available today.  The traditional Barber truck is characterized by variable damping, meaning that the snubbing action is load dependent, i.e., the resistance to bouncing is greater for a loaded car than an empty car.  The traditional competitive freight car truck has been characterized by constant snubbing force regardless of the loaded or empty state of the car.]

Gordon Hamilton
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