Reply To: MoPac 70′ Mail Storage Model

[David Boeschen]

Oh wow, now we even have one that’s had a truck change.

Here’s what I think I know about MoW renumbering after 1961. In order to accommodate the large number of cars that were starting to crowd each other out in the five-digit numbering system, St. Louis developed several new numbering systems for locomotives, passenger cars, company service cars including cabooses and MoW, and freight cars. It appears that it was intended that equipment which was nearing the end of its life or becoming obsolete was not going to be renumbered. This was true of freight cars, and it seemed to have been true of MoW cars also. Cabooses were assigned the 11000, 12000 and 13000 series number blocks, and there was a clear plan here that others have elaborated on much better than I, about 13000 series being road cabooses and renumbering them successively downward as they aged.

I have never heard of a renumbering document for company service cars, but it would be logical that there would not have been need for one since system shops weren’t being asked to catch cars and assign them a specific new number.

So evidence seems to say that cars put into MoW service after about 1963 were renumbered starting with 14000, probably in order as they were assigned, although with plenty of gaps. The number series extended into the 15000s, although there were some exceptions (possibly pre-existing) such as the 70000 series sand cars and the 99000 series wheel cars. The CEI 16000 series sand cars of 1972 were probably intended to fit in with this numbering, even though they were nominally revenue cars.

My interest really doesn’t go this far into the future, but I suspect that after 1982 the numbers jumped ahead to the 30000 series, just one of many changes after this date.

RG7