X31 & X32 Boxcar (Part 5) - PRR X31B & C from Boswer

Time for the next installment of the X31 & X32 Boxcar modeling blog post series.  This time we're looking at the Pennsylvania's X31B & X31C sub-classes of double-door, round-roof boxcars.  Between the two sub-classes there are still 1194 cars in service according to the 1950 ORER listings.  Additional cars of very similar construction, including the double doors can be found in X31A and X31F sub-classes, which were discussed in previous blog posts X31 & X32 Boxcar - Part 4 and X31 & X32 Boxcar - Part 3 respectively.

PRR 61102, an X31B class car in automobile service, OEC pool stenciling.

As with many groups of cars suitable for automobile and parts loading, the class would be moved around between special assignments with their own racks or loading devices as the service dictated.  Notice under each of the notes below the individual cars in the service are specified by reporting mark number, while the photo of the 61102 (Bowser model below) with the tare date in 1946 is shown in "AUTOMOBILES" service, and even has the pool assignment painted on "OEC", the 1950 ORER shows the car as the lead car in the class, but in unassigned general service as an "XM" mechanical class.  This suggests some of the newer classes of boxcar to the PRR are taking over the specialized assignments.  Making the pre-war X31B sub-class somewhat redundant, to be phased out as newer cars are delivered.

X31B

PRR 61102 with "AUTOMOBILES" stenciling still applied in a March, 1946 re-weight stencil, suggesting some sort of automobile rack being fitted at the time, but gone by 1950.

The vast majority, nearly 90% - 345 cars, of X31B class cars in 1950 were already assigned to XM (general service) duties>  The rest of the class, 45 cars, were in a mix of assignments from auto-parts (22 cars), movable automobile racks - collapsible up against the roof (11 cars), and probably most interesting of all - 12 cars assigned to moving farm machinery specifically with special racks.

PRR 61102-62799, 345 XM cars (Note B) - General service

PRR , 22 XML cars (Notes B, L) - Misc. automobile parts service

PRR , 12 XMP cars (Notes B, U) - Farm Machinery service

PRR , 11 XMR cars (Notes B, AAA) - Movable Automobile Racks (10 small cars)

390 cars in this series.

Note B - Cars have roofs slightly higher at the center than at the sides.  The IH of 10'0" at the sides and 10'5" is obtained for 3'6" to each side of the centerline of the car.

Note L - Equipped with racks for hauling miscellaneous automobile parts, designated XML: 61125, 61156, 61284, 61421, 61434, 61436, 61565, 61615, 61802, 61802, 61859, 61917, 61964, 62110, 62151, 62185, 62356, 62477, 62503, 62543, 62582, 62706, 62765. (22 cars)

Note U - Equipped with racks for hauling farm machinery, designated XMP: 61339, 61360, 61481, 61533, 61668, 61679, 61743, 61959, 62257, 62321, 62632, 62648. (12 cars)

Note AAA - Equipped with permanent stowing equipment for hauling 10 small automobiles.  Inside height, width, and cubical capacity as follows:
    With Loading Racks in position for loading automobiles - IH 10ft 5in and 10ft (see Note B)  Width 9'2" Cu Capy 3,713 cu. ft.

    With Loading Racks raised in stored position against roof of car for loading other commodities - IH 8ft 6in, Width 8ft 10in, Capy 2,869 cu. ft.
61110, 61204, 61310, 61915, 61967, 62131, 62166, 62255, 62470, 62544, 62700. (11 Cars)

X31C

PRR 61056, another plain XM version, this time of the X31C sub-class.

The X31C sub-class was still 804 cars strong according to the 1950 ORER.  It seems to have about 2/3s of the cars (517) in XM (general service) and the other third in specialized automobile services, but with convertible automobile stowage racks, which can be moved up against the roof for other loading when needed.

PRR 60800-61099, 122 XMR cars (Notes B, E) - balance of series XMR, permanent automobile stowing racks installed (besides those shown below with Note G or CC).

PRR , 5 XMR cars (Notes B, CC) - Equipped with stowable racks for 8 small automobiles.

PRR , 172 XM cars (Notes B, G) - General Service - not equipped with automobile loading racks.

PRR 62800-63309, 345 XM cars (Note B) - General Service

PRR , 148 XMR cars (Notes B, K) - Equipped with stowable automobile racks.

PRR , 12 XMR cars (Notes B, CC) - Equipped with stowable automobile racks for 8 small automobiles.

804 cars total between these two series.

Note B - Cars have roofs slightly higher at the center than at the sides.  The IH of 10'0" at the sides and 10'5" is obtained for 3'6" to each side of the centerline of the car.

Note E - (Except cars showing in Notes G & CC) Equipped with permanent automobile stowing equipment. 

Note G - Not equipped with auto loading racks and are classified as XM:
60801, 60803, 60804, 60808, 60809, 60811, 60812, 60813, 60817, 60818, 60820, 60821,60823, 60824, 60825, 60828, 60829, 60831, 60832, 60836, 60838, 60839, 60840, 60846, 60848-60851, 60855, 60858-60862, 60864, 60866, 60867, 60868, 60870, 60873-60877, 60880, 60882, 60883, 60884, 60887, 60889, 60890, 60892, 60894, 60897, 60898, 60899, 60902, 60904-60908, 60911, 60915, 60917,-60920, 60923, 60926, 60930, 60932-60935, 60937, 60939, 60941, 60943-60947, 60949, 60951, 60952, 60956, 60959, 60960, 60962, 60964, 60965, 60966, 60968, 60970-60978, 60980, 60981, 60984-60988, 60991, 60993, 60995, 60999-61004, 61006, 61007, 61007, 61012, 61014, 61017, 61019, 61019, 61020, 61023, 61024, 61027, 61029-61032, 61034, 61036, 61038, 61039, 61042, 61045, 61050, 61051, 61052, 61054, 61056, 61059, 61060, 61061, 61063, 61066, 61068, 61069, 61071, 61072, 61073, 61075, 61078, 61080, 61082, 61083, 61085, 61086, 61087, 61089, 61090, 61091, 61093, 61095, 61096, 61098, 61099. (172 cars)

Note K - Equipped with permanent automobile stowing equipment.  IH and cubical capy as follows:

With Loading Racks in position for loading automobiles - IH 10ft 5in (see Note B), Capy 3,713 cu.ft.

With Loading Racks raised in stowed position against roof of car for loading other commodities - IH 9ft 3in, capy 3,435 cu.ft.
62800, 62803, 62806, 62811, 62812, 62821, 62825, 62828, 62833, 62834, 62838, 62843, 62850, 62853, 62855,62860, 62865, 62870, 62873, 62876, 62879, 62884, 62886-62889, 62897, 62899, 62902, 62904, 62905, 62910, 62912, 62915, 62916, 62920, 62921, 62922, 62928, 62930, 62932, 62934, 62936, 62938, 62939, 62943, 62949, 62954, 62958, 62963, 62966, 62967, 62987, 62990, 62993, 62994, 62998, 63001, 63005, 63007, 63019, 63023, 63024, 63025, 63028,63035, 63036, 63039, 63044, 63045, 63051, 63054, 63056, 63060, 63068, 63070, 63079, 63081, 63082, 63085, 63088, 63090, 63091, 63093 63094, 63099, 63100, 63108, 63114, 63116, 63124-63127, 63131-63134, 63137, 63141, 63142, 63144, 63155, 63161, 63165, 63166, 63169, 63174, 63175, 63178, 63181, 63199, 63202, 63205, 63206, 63228, 62230, 63234, 63235, 63237, 63240, 63241, 63243, 63244, 63247, 63249-63252, 63254, 63266, 63269, 63272, 63275, 63276, 63278-63281, 63283, 63287, 63290, 63294, 63295, 63303, 63304, 63305, 63308. (148 cars)

Note CC - Equipped with permanent stowing equipment for hauling 8 small automobiles.  IH and cubical capy as follows:

With Loading Racks in position for loading automobiles - IH 10ft 5in (see Note B), Capy 3,713 cu.ft.

With Loading Racks raised in stowed position against roof of car for loading other commodities - IH 9ft 3in, capy 3,435 cu.ft.
60805, 60807, 61037, 61043, 61094. (5 cars)

62814, 62925, 62931, 62978, 63072, 63118, 63159, 63168, 63192, 63194, 63198, 63268. (12 cars)

In Closing

Yes, it's time for some new decals!  I'll cover upgrades in the future...

This post brings the show and tell of the X31 & X32 classes to an end.  I'll probably be adjusting the lettering on a couple of the older models, upgrading them to newer standards.  So there will probably be upcoming blog posts about those cars individually or in small groups.

Jason Hill

Related Articles:

X31 & X32 Boxcar (Part 1) - Era Corrections on NP Cars

X31 & X32 Boxcar (Part 2) - PRR X32As from Boswer

X31 & X32 Boxcar (Part 3) - PRR X31F "Turtle Roofs" from Boswer

X31 & X32 Boxcar (Part 4) - PRR X31A from Bowser & Rapido

Freight Car Overview Index - One page with links to all my modeling blogs on freight cars.

https://jbritton.pennsyrr.com/index.php/tpm/blogs/latest-articles-blog/248-1954-freight-class-model-cross-reference