What Are These Cars?

Tue Apr 14 10:03:05 EDT 2020

More info on these cars:

R/N 16406 (5-1917), R/N 516406 (3-1924), R/N 525599 (3-1955), R/N 521212 (11-1956)
R/N 16407 (5-1917), R/N 516407 (3-1924), R/N 526600 (2-1955), R/N 521213 (12-1956)
 R/N 16408 (5-1917), R/N 516408 (3-1924), R/N 526601 (3-1955), R/N 521214 (11-1956) 
 R/N 16409 (5-1917), R/N 516409 (3-1924), R/N 526602 (5-1955), R/N 521215 (11-1956) 
More info is on the N&WHS MofW Equipment Data Base.
Bob Bowers

In a message dated 4/14/2020 8:44:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:
Phil

I believe what you saw was a MofW car that is used in camp car service. The cars that were shown in the photo were gone by the 1960s I believe.

There is not a whole lot of info on the original supply cars to answer Roger. They are pretty rare, as four cars were built in 1917 for the purpose of shipping storehouse materials, with a storekeeper to distribute the material. Those car numbers were 16406, 16407, 16408 and 16409. I believe they were renumbered in the overall MofW scheme by adding a “5” in front of the number, and I’m not sure when that was done. 

An excerpt from an N&W Magazine article from September 1924:

… Supplies for the divisions, are issued by supply cars. There are four of these cars in service, two on each general, division. One of the cars carries oil, the other, miscellaneous supplies-stationery, tools, etc., for agents, operators, pumpers, signal maintainers and sectton forenien. These cars are accompanied by one man on each general division and move over the divisions by local freight once each month; thus providing a very economical method of distributing broken bulk shipments to the line. The division superintendents are furnished with a schedule showing the movement of the cars over their division, and the arrange for the agents, section foremen, etc., to meet the supply cars, thus avoiding any delay to the local trains. The supply cars, when going over the divisions, gather up all old tools from the sections and bring them into the general storehouse to be delivered to the shops for repairs. …

I believe these cars and the monthly visits were discontinued sometime in the mid 1950s as the railroad went to handling things differently to save money. Which would explain the lack of photos, since they only moved across the system once a month.

Ken Miller

> On Apr 14, 2020, at 5:04 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> I think I remember seeing an MW green one in the Roanoke yards in the 1980’s tucked in along with a couple former Southern Rwy mail cars. 
> Phil Miller
>  
> From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2020 10:38 PM
> To: NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List
> Subject: Re: What Are These Cars?
>  
> Now that Ken has identified them, I can remember seeing the supply cars when I was growing up in Bluefield, and remember my father calling them supply cars. The red roofed CF caboose is interesting (if not unique). Notice that the roof walk is black. Appears to be fresh paint all around.
>  
> Jim Nichols
>  
>  
>  
> On Monday, April 13, 2020, 08:40:35 PM CDT, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 
>  
>  
> Ken,
>  
> Did they have a class or number series? How many were there? Hard to believe that's the only picture I've ever seen of them with all the many N&W books available. 
>  
> Roger Huber
> Deer Creek Locomotive Works
>  
>  
> On Monday, April 13, 2020, 06:42:40 PM CDT, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 
>  
>  
> John
>  
> Those are supply cars, carrying all sorts of material such as forms, stationary, etc. They traveled the system and distributed the materials. 
>  
> Ken Miller
>  
> > On Apr 13, 2020, at 12:15 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> > 
> > Does anyone know what these cars are used for? They are N&W equipment.  Also a great photo that confirms caboose roofs were painted red at least as of the 1952 date of this photo.
> >  
> > John Garner,  Newport VA
> > <N&W 382 Shawsville VA 10-23-52.jpg>________________________________________
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