SP/SSW Autoparts Car Questions

[Mankind]

Allright, another question for the knowledgeable SP fans out there. With Microscale working on decal sets for SP/SSW's too-cool 86' autoparts cars, I'm looking forward to painting a few and adding them to my model fleet. Now, what I'm wondering, is what routes and pools are these cars assigned to? I've only seen one once, while railfanning in the Pomona, Ca. area a few years back. I'm assuming there are still some left, but I'm curious where they are running too and from. That, and has anyone seen one of these monsters painted in oxide brown, instead of scarlet, and if there are any websites where I can find pics? Thanks!

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[SSW9389]

Mankind: We see an SP/SSW 86' auto parts box car once about every two months here at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant near Louisville. Very few of these cars in the pool. Also see WP cars on about the same frequency.

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[Mankind]

Thanks for the info, SSW9389(cool handle!), and sorry it took so long to reply. I just wish I had a camera handy the last time I saw one of those cars...to top it all, the one I saw was am SSW car, with "COTTON BELT" inside the white circle on the center of the car. Really unique paint job and logo, and one of the reasons the SP/SSW autoparts cars are some of my favorites.

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[This message has been edited by Mankind (edited 17 October 2000).]

[SSW9389]

Mankind: The SP and SSW cars seen here in the Louisville area have really poor paint. Don't know how much longer they will be around. WP 86' cars in much better condition. Saw a UP 86' car with the UP Route Map on the side with very poor paint. Some of these cars have been running for upwards of 30? years in original paint??? Hard to believe they haven't been to the paint shop.

[SSW9389]

Mankind: SP 65058 is at the truck plant this morning. Paint in reasonably good condition. It is a Pullman Standard car.

[Mankind]

Thanks for the info, SSW9389....I'll check some of the public traces to keep tabs on this car to see where it goes.

Paul #3

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[SSW9389]

Mankind: SSW 65077 at the Truck Plant today. Very faded colors.

[Mankind]

Thanks for the heads up; looks like I've got another number to trace.


Paul #3

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[SSW9389]

Mankind: On today's venue we had SP 616517 arriving at our Old Kentucky Truck Plant. Same faded paint. The red color has mostly bled through the white stripe on this one. Also guesting on this train was the WP 86086 another interesting car from a fallen flag road.

[SSW9389]

SSW 65053 a Pullman Standard 86' Auto Parts Box Car showed up at the Truck Plant today. The car has a light gray side stripe with the two stripes arrowing in to the white SP in circle herald on the doors. Interesting car, and again faded glory paint.

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Cotton Belt: Runs like a Blue Streak

[Mankind]

Thanks for the updates, SSW9389. I've been trying to keep tabs on where these cars have been going, and so here is what the latest UP trace says on the car numbers you've given me:

SSW 65053 Load Yes Interchange Delivered ALS Valjct, IL 11/30/00 11:18 Obannon, KY
Load Yes Est Time of Interchange CSXT Valjct , IL 12/03/00 13:01 Obannon, KY

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SSW 65077 Load Yes Interchange Received NS Yarcenter, IL 12/03/00 16:35 Chicago, IL
Load Yes Est Time of Interchange BRC Chicago , IL 12/07/00 10:43 Chicago, IL

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SP 616517 Load P Chiheight, IL
Load P ETA Destination Yarcenter , IL 12/09/00 23:12 Chiheight, IL


Interesting....most of these cars don't wander too far from the Chicago area. Also, a friend of mine reports seeing SP/SSW/Golden West autoparts cars at a plant here in LA. Got to go and find where they're at. Regardless, it looks like I've gotta keep tracing these cars to see what cycle they're in.

Paul #3





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Have A Nice Day!

[SSW9389]

Mankind: Here is another one. The SP 616538 was at the Truck Plant today. It is an 8 Door car. First time I've seen an 8 door SP car here. Same gray and scarlet with patch rust paint scheme.

Are we creating some history here?

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Cotton Belt: Runs like a Blue Streak

[SSW9389]

The SSW 65053 was visiting the Truck Plant again today. last seen here 12/6/00. That's a 46-day time period. Mankind, what kind of cycle time is this car making? Did it any additional trips during this time?

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Cotton Belt: Runs like a Blue Streak

[SPF]

Mankind, since you told me about espee.railfan.net, I am sure you have seen the page on 86ft cars, but just in case, here it is
http://espee.railfan.net/freight_86foot-partscars.html

It has a link to the specs of interior dimensions and such on that page. I have seen these cars twice in Industry at the GE place off Lemon over the past few months. One was good looking and clearly distinguishable, the other was faded and took some looking to make out what it was. When the cars get there, they seem to stay for a few days as the place gets many more cars than they have doors so they have ones waiting to get in stashed all over the place. Mostly 60ft cars, but usually some 86fts of different varieties including Golden West.

[This message has been edited by SPF (edited 22 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by SPF (edited 22 January 2001).]

[Mankind]

Thanks for the info, ssw9389. Latest UP trace sez:

SSW 65053 Load Yes Interchange Delivered ALS Valjct, IL 01/15/01 08:19 Obannon, KY

SSW 65077 Empty No

SP 616517 Load P Chiheight, IL Load P ETA Destination Yarcenter, IL 01/27/01 17:42 Chiheight, IL

The cars I'd been tracing seemed to be in a cycle between the Ford plant and Chicago. I hadn't noticed any other sidetrips. I gotta dig up what I'd written down... And thanks for the link, spf. I hadn't been to that page before, lotsa neat info. Now I just have to find the time to go down to the GE place you keep telling me about so I can get some pics of those boxcars. http://www.trainboard.com/smile.gif On an SP related note...I went by Dolores Yard in Long Beach yesterday morning before work, and there was lots of SP power sitting and moving about. Managed to get pics of SP and SSW GP40-2, GP40M-2, Speed Lettered GP60, an AMF-rebuild GP38-2, SP SD45R, and SD40T-2. Neat stuff; it sure was worth getting up early. http://www.trainboard.com/biggrin.gif

Paul #3




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[SSW9389]

Mankind: SSW 65053 departed O'Bannon Northbound this morning at 0845! There was a wreck last night at O'Bannon. Four bilevel tipped on their sides and another two derailed on a leg of the wye so it has been an interesting night for CSX. R J Corman worked all night to open up this rail access to Ford.

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Cotton Belt: Runs like a Blue Streak

[SSW9389]

Yesterday the SP 615536 was at the Truck Plant. This car was with two C&NW and an MP 86' box car. The different thing about 615536 is that the car is in tuscan with

HY-CUBE
CUSHION CAR

stacked yellow lettering on the top left side of the car. Data plate had 8-64 for the build date.

[SP 8299]

All tuscan? Hmmm....never seen one like that before. Thanks for the update, SSW...and the modeling idea. :cool:


Paul #3

[QTRAIN]

Mankind, you're right. Most of the SP/SSW autoparts cars are in an enroute cycle between Los Angeles and the Ford Plant in Chicago. One good place to observe full autoparts trains is at the Indio main on the North side of the Salton Sea. UP still runs full autoparts trains up & down that stretch of track (can you believe it?...LOL), and they're a lot of varieties of other 86'parts cars as well.

Just my opinion.....Thanx 4 Listenin'.....Q

[SSW9389]

SSW 65064 in faded red and gray was southbound on NS #133 at MP173 on the Rathole. That's south of Somerset, KY.

[SSW9389]

CSX delivered SSW 65097 to the Ford Truck Plant at O'Bannon, KY at 6 PM tonight. It is in the red & gray scheme.

[SP 8299]

Thanks for the update....there are a couple of SP ones down here in SoCal, too...now I just need to hunt them down! :D

[SSW9389]

SP 615536 here on a revisit on 4/24. It was last seen on 2/19. What is the cycle time on these cars?

[Randy C.]

Mankind: Keep an eye out for SSW 65015 as this one has the Cotton Belt between the arrows. Also, SSW 65060 is in the scarlet colors while SSW 65032 wears the brown. I'm fortunate to see the jumbos in South Texas.

[SP 8299]

Randy C, welcome to Trainboard, and thanks for the info on these cars. I've always liked the SP/SSW high cubes...that paint scheme really gets your attention. Too bad we don't get very many out this way. Now I just need to find my cycle time notes on these cars. A friend tells me that the ones that frequent a GE place down here don't hang around long...about a day or so, and they're gone.

[Randy C.]

Yet another variation seen today at Harlingen. SP 615219 in tuscan with Southern Pacific spelled in white letters. I also saw SP 616506 in UP paint & with small UP shield.

[Randy C.]

Another oddity spotted was UP 980256 with an SP door. One of its 4 doors has the SP/SSW yellow word "car" on the top. I guess doors are swapped as needed. Now if the car could get the other doors to match, it would be a lot closer to becoming an SP car.