Modeling Railroads of a pre-Depression Era

 
 

1911-1920

Wrightstown, NJ, 1917 from the Library of Congress

  • 1920 - approximately 2.85 million Class 1 and Class 2 railroad-owned freight cars in service

  • March 1920 - USRA relinquishes control of the US railroads

  • 1918 - USRA builds 100,000 freight cars of five designs and assigns these among US railroads

  • USRA builds nearly 2000 locomotives to twelve designs and assigns these among US railroads

  • December 31, 1917 - USRA takes control of the US railroads

  • Steel or steel-framed ends required or recommended on box cars

  • 1911 - US Safety Appliance Act is amended with details on ladders, grabs,etc

  • Labor costs are cheap

Aurora, MO, 1910 from the Library of Congress

1901-1910

  • 1910 - approximately 2.15 million Class 1 and Class 2 railroad-owned freight cars in service

  • 1909 - MCB adopts to locate reporting marks at left end of car side

  • All steel freight cars introduced in 1902.

Cleveland, OH, 1909 from the Library of Congress

 

  
 

Pre-1901

  • 1900 - approximately 1.85 million Class 1 and Class 2 railroad-owned freight cars in service

  • August 1900 - all railroad cars required to be equipped with air brakes & knuckle couplers

  • 1893 - US Safety Appliance Act is passed, mainly covering brakes and couplers.

Erie, PA, 1900 from the Library of Congress