Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Volume 36: Improvements to the A.A.R 40 ft. Steel-Sheathed, Wood-Lined Boxcar

SilverLake Images, 2023. Softcover. New. Paperback, 385 pages, 8.5 x 11 in., extensive B&W illustrations and roster data. Volume 36 will continue the story of a popular freight car design that was started in RPC Volume 35. This new title contains 385 pages of comprehensive, prototype information related to its subject. The full description follows: Evolution of the A.A.R. 1937 Standard, Steel-Sheathed, Wood-Lined Box Car - Twenty Years of Improvements to the Original Design. This volume is part of a continuing series covering 20th century American box car designs. The 385-page article by Pat Wider centers on the improvements made to the Association of American Railroads 1937 Standard Box Car over a twenty-year period. These improvements included increased inside height; better riding trucks; roller bearings and steel wheels; new vendor-supplied proprietary car body components; wider door openings; improved friction draft gears and cushion underframes; interior load restraints, steel flooring, and better automatic air brake systems. Included is a brief history of the continued standardization and impact of these various freight car sub-systems on the safety and productivity of the railroad industry. The coverage includes industry trade advertisements as well as excerpts from the U.S. patents that covered the various improvements during this period. Specifically, this comprehensive work includes approximately 56 industry trade ads, 60 U.S. patent excerpts, 48 car diagrams, 500 B&W photographs, an extensive bibliography, and a complete detailed roster pertaining to 10-foot, 6-inch (nominal) inside height, A.A.R. Standard, Steel-Sheathed, Wood-Lined Box Cars built from January 1939, through November 1963. The article includes extensive information on the relevant box cars for the following railroads: A&WP, AA, ACL, ALTON, AT&SF, BCK, C&O, C&S, CB&Q, CMO, CN, CNW, CP, D&H, D&M, D&TS, DSS&A, DT&I, EJ&E, Erie, FW&D, GEORGIA, GM&O, GOC, GTW, I-GN, IC, IHB, ITC, KCS, KO&G, L&N, LV, M-I, MP, NC&StL, NJI&I, NKP, NP, NS, NYC, P&LE, P&WV, PGE, PRR, RDG, RI, SAL, SL-SF, SOO LINE, SOUTHERN, SP&S, SSW, StLB&M, T&P, THB, WAB, WofA, and WP.