LIRR #497998

Was this used in car float service to keep the heavy locomotives off the float bridge aprons ?

Hello everyone, That's exactly what they were used for. Thanks Frank and Cindy

Note: I would rather think that that was NOT a reacher car for the floats. The float flats, as we called them, had a little shanty on them that had a pot belly stove and benches for the crew to get out of the cold. This one without the shanty would have been used on the east end ladder job as a car to improve vision for the engine crew while rolling the hump. That job continued for some time after the floats stopped operating. Freight came in from Fremont that needed classifying. The car in question, however, WAS referred to as a float flat. JJ Earl That particular flat car was a "hump visibility" car, but was listed on the MOW roster as a float reach. UN Blocker

Anyone with an OFFICIAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT REGISTER (ORER) might help with the date/LIRR description on this via the #497998? Interesting MOW usage for certain.

The 497998 does not appear in the earliest Equipment Tabulation book I have, 1974 issue. By this time, the only cars with the older six digit numbers such as this still rostered were the 491577 (Blt. 6-16, Boom Car) and the 491985 (Blt. 6-16, Tool Car flat).

Float reach in cars on the roster that same year were the W-23, W-27, W-29, W-39, W-70, though I believe the W-39 got most of the use in the later years and just after Conrail.

Bad Luck wrote:The 497998 does not appear in the earliest Equipment Tabulation book I have, 1974 issue. By this time, the only cars with the older six digit numbers such as this still rostered were the 491577 (Blt. 6-16, Boom Car) and the 491985 (Blt. 6-16, Tool Car flat). Float reach in cars on the roster that same year were the W-23, W-27, W-29, W-39, W-70, though I believe the W-39 got most of the use in the later years and just after Conrail.

Thanks, Bad Luck... I've been 'digging in' and appears that the 6-digit numbering was phased out in late-1957/early-1958 and finally complete by possibly 1960 (?) . . . One needs to view ORER, or LIRR rosters pre-1960... I'll look for these cars you listed.

Tell me about: Equipment Tabulation books. Thank you.

Example: Here’s a gon already renumbered as W-12 Richmond Hill Yard 6/20/59 (Rugen-Huneke)

[quote="newkirk"]Was this used in car float service to keep the heavy locomotives off the float bridge aprons ?

Photo indicates pre-1927. The wooden, open-vestibule cars in the background. Wooden cars were last in revenue service on the LIRR in 1927. The 6-digit MOW numbers were a carry-over from Pennsy ownership. All their MOW cars had 6-digit numbers.

In the 1960's, there was agray and orange reach car at Bay Ridge, with an orange cabin on it. Emblazoned in the rear-end of the house was a black bat, lifted directly from the "Bat-Man" television show logo. Over it was neatly painted "Bat-Car".

RGlueck wrote:In the 1960's, there was agray and orange reach car at Bay Ridge, with an orange cabin on it. Emblazoned in the rear-end of the house was a black bat, lifted directly from the "Bat-Man" television show logo. Over it was neatly painted "Bat-Car".

W-27

Ðauntless wrote:

RGlueck wrote:In the 1960's, there was agray and orange reach car at Bay Ridge, with an orange cabin on it. Emblazoned in the rear-end of the house was a black bat, lifted directly from the "Bat-Man" television show logo. Over it was neatly painted "Bat-Car".

W-27

That photo I'd like to see!

RGlueck wrote:In the 1960's, there was agray and orange reach car at Bay Ridge, with an orange cabin on it. Emblazoned in the rear-end of the house was a black bat, lifted directly from the "Bat-Man" television show logo. Over it was neatly painted "Bat-Car".

I tried to post a picture of it, but the photo contained too many pixels. I don't use a hosting site like photobook, so I have no other way to post it.

Very nostalgic photo, Crabdude. Thanks.

Nice, Bay Ridge or Yard A?

nyandw wrote:Nice, Bay Ridge or Yard A?

Steve: This looks like Yard A. Note the boxcars-four fallen flags along with CP. Not sure what is
behind #445. The two hacks look fine. This is the best LIRR caboose color scheme to me.

MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:

nyandw wrote:Nice, Bay Ridge or Yard A?

Steve: This looks like Yard A. Note the boxcars-four fallen flags along with CP. Not sure what is
behind #445. The two hacks look fine. This is the best LIRR caboose color scheme to me.MACTRAXX

Yes, it's Yard A, after a second look. So we have: Fallen Flags of Rock Island, Canadian Pacific, MP(?), hidden, XXX, Frisco, Erie Lackawanna...

Anyone recognize the XXX car herald?