When? I just got a Rock Island box car to add to my RI layout. I did not notice until now it has no roof walk, and has the cut down ladders, even tho the build date is 1942. My era is mid 50s. I know no roofwalks were manditory sometime in the 60s, but when did they start removing them? about what years did they start showing up on the railways?
i think 1967 was the cut off date for having them removed. this is not an authoritative answer, but is based on what i get from the reading i've done. you'll see some cars without them in the mid-60s mixed in trains with cars with roof walks intact. but by 1970 you won't see many (if any) boxcars in a train with them (except for cabooses and maintance of way box cars. dave f.
According to MR guide to freightcars... No longer required on new cars - 1966 Removed from existing cars by 1974 but date extended to 1979. edit: I assume 'new' would also include rebuilt cars; Jason
What I meant was, when was it first mandated? not when it was manditory. When the notices first came out, and when they "started" removing them? If it were back in the 1950s (which I realy dont think so..) I could feel not guilty for running it back in the mid 50's.. lol.. Or, I might just add a roofwalk..
From the North Central Region NMRA: The paper stating they were to be removed was issued in 1964. New boxcars/reefers would no longer require them in 1967. Removal for interchange service was required by 1975 and then extended until 1979 or later. More info in that link above. I also googled some information that stated the final order prohibiting roofwalks in interchange service was 1983
I bought a pack of spare MT roof walks and mount them on my box cars that don't have them. That way they don't stick out like a sore thumb. Most folks don't even notice that the ladders are still too short.
Thanks Flash, that is what I needed. So, maybe the roofwalk got knocked off by a signal hanging too low back in 1952? hahhah.. Anyway.. I dont loose alot of sleep on perfection, but I have a couple brass roofwalks and might just add one to it. The ladders? Well, if anybody mentions them, I will kick em out of the house, lol..
