Off season uses for stock cars

[NW Mailing List]

In and around Marion Virginia I can remember the occasional poultry or apple crates loaded in the cars. Circa 1968. Back then, it was real easy to hop the empties into town from Brown Subdivision.  I usually managed to get to the Brunswick Bowling Ailey or Parkside Drive-in, less obtrusive with the parents than the Skyview.  Only problem was getting a train back home, restrictions and normal BS with operations. Often, we had to walk or thumb back home. At any rate, cattle cars really stunk back then, and feathers or dung flew everywhere from the side of the cars.  Often the wood would even splinter and fall from the rotting decrepit cars as they were rolled up or down the Bristol line to their final destination.  The best sensory experience was smelling the different smells that you would never smell otherwise. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 11, 2017, at 8:37 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

Brent

One usage I can vouch for personally is carrying brick. The former Old Virginia Brick Company in Salem, was about a mile from my house and back in the mid to late 1960s, I remember seeing stock cars in the siding at the place and asking my father about them. Since he was Radford Division, and had often worked the Salem Shifter here, he said they were used for transporting the brick because it was not easily damaged. By this time, the cattle business had virtually vanished from the N&W.

I would have to suspect that transport of straw was only baled. I kind of doubt tires would be shipped via stock car, those might have been a more valuable theft target in basically an open car.

Photographs showing the cars carrying brick would really not reflect anything different other than their location on a siding.

Ken Miller

> On Apr 11, 2017, at 6:50 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> 
> I was recently told that when not actively engaged in transporting livestock,, stock cars were used to haul hay/straw, or tires, or any other commodity that does not necessarily require that much protection from weather.
> 
> Does anyone have or know of any photographs of N&W stock cars in such alternative service?  Any additional examples of alternative loads for these cars?
> 
> Thanks,
> Brent 
> 
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> Dr. J. Brent Greer
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