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RE: (erielack) DL&W numbering question



Ok, here we go on my theory of the "0" cars....

Almost every railroad that I know of had cars within their fleets
specifically assigned to specific departments within the company itself
to haul whatever comodity that the department may need or handle to keep
the company as a whole moving forward.

Most common are boxcars for the "Stores Department" or covered hoppers
labeled "Sand Service".

Then I got to looking through Mike DelVecchio's side of the Erie/DLW
book, and saw the following....

02905 "Sand Car"  which has specific instructions "Dry Sand Service
Between Scranton Diesel Shop and Phalanx Ohio...

and then, I saw

02003 and according to the book, says they were (keyword here)
"Assigned" to the Roadway Department (R.O.W.)

THEN,,,,

I started looking back at page 62, and specifically the reproduction of
the "Summary of Equipment" and if one takes a look down at the "Non
Revenue Cars" you will see, beside the derricks, plows, and the sort,
you'll find BOXCARS, FLATS, GONDOLAS.... (and by the way, the 4 tank
cars used in Diesel oil service are listed here too...)

So here's the theory, Cars prefixed with an "0" are Non Revenue Cars,
AND, They are "ASSIGNED" to a Specific department as well....

the 02003 and cars like it are the "Ballast Cars - Side Dump" which
lists 37... They do have Side Doors in the cars... (Not to be confused
with "Air Dump Cars" built by Clark, Magor, and Koppel of which the
95721 is a Magor built version)

I asked if they were Boxcars, Flats, etc, cause they are listed in the
"Non-Revenue" side of the Equipment roster, but I wanted to be sure that
there was other cars in the "Assigned Services" besides the two photos
in the book,....

Now, if we look at the equipment roster, in the non-revenue section,
under "Misc Service---Box.......111 (cars)

Not all 111 cars are going to be prefixed with a "0", but this is where
the "0" cars are,  mixed in with some regular boxcars.

Same holds for Flats, Gondolas,...

It mentions 3 cabooses, but I am thinking its a typo, and should read
"Covered Hopper" for the 3 that are in sand service...

Also, the converted cabooses were considered "Bunk Cars" and would fall
under the "Pass Cars" category in the "Non-Revenue" section...

And thats my story and I'm sticking to it.....

Joseph D. Fisher
ELHS #3320

New Jersey Transit / Norfolk Southern
Milepost B-21.4, Boonton Tpke
Mountain View, New Jersey

~Delaware, Lackawanna and Western~
"The Route of the Phoebe Snow"

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