Atlantic Coast Line in 1908

by **Candy_Streeter** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:05 pm

Box cars were employed to carry cotton and wool when this picture was taken in South Carolina in 1908. The boy's name is Johnnie and he worked as a helper in the mule room ( spinning mule) of the Maple cotton mill. It says he's 8 years old.

by **ACL1504** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:50 pm

Candy,

Great shot of an ACL Ventilated Boxcar! The car pictured was probably yellow with red or black herald (they had both) and white letters.

Southeastern roads like the ACL literally had thousands of them. They had steel underframes with wood sheathing.

Known as "watermelon cars", the ventilated cars were used for the handling of any fresh fruit not requiring refrigeration.The concept of the car was that they could be used for produce, with the end vents open or regular freight service.

When the watermelons were hauled, they cars were filled half way with layers of straw between them. By the early 60's the "watermelon cars" were in such disrepair they were left to rot on sidings and the refrig. cars made them obsolete.

The words in the herald read, "Atlantic Coast Dispatch".

Thanks Candy!

Tom

by **bparrish** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:55 pm

THAT is a cool photo

Thanx
Bob

by **gnatshop** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:14 pm

May be a litte early time period, but little Johnnie looks familiar!
Could be a relative, but it looks like a MiniRalph to me. He's cocky, like he's saying 'this railroad is MINE'! :twisted:

But, then, he could just be figuring out a signalling system to spot the cars where he can get to them easier! :ymdevil:

by **Candy_Streeter** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:56 pm

Tom I found this model picture. Thanks for the info

by **DarkTerritory** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:20 pm

Nice photo and model. shot in the dark here, but does anyone have a photo or drawing of one of these watermelon cars dating bach 15-20 years earlier (say 1885 - 1890)? I want to find one with truss rods to model. I don't know for certain if they existed, but there were other similar ventilated cars dating back that far - I would love to see an ACL car from my era like this.

by **ACL1504** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:31 pm

DarkTerritory wrote:Nice photo and model. shot in the dark here, but does anyone have a photo or drawing of one of these watermelon cars dating bach 15-20 years earlier (say 1885 - 1890)? I want to find one with truss rods to model. I don't know for certain if they existed, but there were other similar ventilated cars dating back that far - I would love to see an ACL car from my era like this.

Craig,

Try this site!

http://www.urbaneagle.com/carter/carter.html 1880 vent. car.

I think the cars like in the photo only date back to the early 1920's

Tom

by **bparrish** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:35 pm

Frequently these ventilated cars were called merchandise cars.

Maybe that will help your search.

I've never seen a prototype with trussrods but Central Valley a number of different lettered ventilated cars with rods. I have no idea what their prototype would have been.

see ya
Bob

by **DarkTerritory** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:08 pm

Yeah, I've just spent the last hour of my misspent middle age trying to find evidence of one of these cars before 1908 - doesn't look like it happened. :((

That picture of Candy's is the earliest reference I've seen.

Oh well, I did find a nice IC ventilated car from 1893 that I might do sometime.

by **Candy_Streeter** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:11 pm

DarkTerritory wrote:Yeah, I've just spent the last hour of my misspent middle age trying to find evidence of one of these cars before 1908 - doesn't look like it happened. That picture of Candy's is the earliest reference I've seen.

Oh well, I did find a nice IC ventilated car from 1893 that I might do sometime.

Maybe I can find it. Research is my thing

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