B&M Autoracks

Boston & Maine Autoracks

Index

Builder's Photo

Does one exist?

B&M Classification Card(s)

Does one exist?

Specifications From per B&MRRHS Modelers Notes #18 (Jul, 1990)

Spec Value
Builder Thrall (racks)
Lot #
Car Numbers
Quantity
Build Date 1986 (racks)

ORER data and numbers

ORER Size Data
Description 7/1985(?), 254000 series TTBX 254086 TTBX 963657 TTBX 908776-908871
M.C.B. / AAR Mechanical Designation FA
Inside
Dimensions Length 89'-4" 89'-4" 89'-4" 89'-4"
Width 9' 9' 9' 8'-4"
Height
Outside
Dimensions Length 93'-8" 93'-8" 93'-8" 93'-8"
Width At Eaves or top of sides or platform
Extreme Width 10'-3" 10'-3" 14'-10" 9'-10"
Height
from
Rail To Extreme Width
To Eaves or top of sides or platform
To Top of Running Board
To Extreme Height 16'-8" 16'-8" 14'-10" 14'-11"
Door - Side
opening Width
Height
Capacity Cu Ft. Level Full
Pounds 124000 (?or is this lt wt.?) 124000 127000 81000

Bi-level auto racks, partial enclosures. Rack number known only for indicated car. These cars are in service [as of 1990]
All are TTBX
Car No. Rack No.
914191
963657
963830
964500
253900
253905 45019
253958
253999
254086
254113
254115
254128
254151
254154
254215
254240
254325
254339
254344
254491
254651
255213
255247
255254
255319
255325
255373
255385
255398
255445
255469

Tri-level auto racks. Rack number unknown. These cars are in service [as of 1990]
All are TTKX
Car No.
908776-908778
908781
908783
908786
908789-908792
908794-908796
908800-908803
908805
908808
908809
908815
908816
908820-908823
908825
908827
908871
908879

ORER Notes

Discussion, General Notes

Per B&MRRHS Modelers Notes, No 18 (7/1990)
The auto racks are a new addition to the fleet. Both Bi- and Tri- level auto racks are in service. Only the racks and not the flat cars to which they are fitted are owned by the B&M/GTI. The [flat] cars are owned by Trailer Train Company. The racks are either partially enclosed (bi-level) or fully enclosed (tri-level) and were manufactured by Thrall Car Company.
(footnote in dimensional section)
Figures are based on the 254000 series of cars. All cars vary an inch or two in their extreme width and extreme height due to variations in the types and construction of the racks; this is common to all three series of auto racks. The other variation is in the capacity as the racks are also responsible for this. There figures are based on the earlier series of 254000 cars as the car nos. for this series of cars were not listed in the July 1985 Register.
[I am not sure what this applies to]
Rack numbers are 45040-45062

KGA - as I didn't know these cars (actually, the racks) existed, all I have for data is the Modeler's Notes. So I will present that data "as is".
At some point I hope I will go back and fill in with ORER data.

Paint Schemes

As delivered
beige scheme with B&M / GTI reporting marks

References or other data

?. "A Catalog of Modern Enclosed Auto Rack Paint Schemes", Freight Car Journal #69 (1996)
p1 includes B&M scheme:
Rack color: Grey; Logo: Black & Orange, B&M on left end, Guilford on Right End
No B&M car photos
in https://groups.io/g/MFCL/topic/17212897#69060
see Walther's book "America's Driving Force" - leased(?) in 1981
Jim Eager speculates these may have been ex-Rock Island cars

Photographs

Page Car # Photo Date
yr-mo-day Visible? Markings Paint
Scheme Herald Notes

B&MRRHS Modelers Notes Issue No. included in "page" column
No 18 p6 ? 1986 X hard to see anything
No 18 p6 ? 1986 X "top down" shot of bilevel
Houghton's RailImages On-line photos
Pay site
If direct link doesn't work, go to top level → "Boston & Maine Railroad" album, scroll thru
BM-368.jpg TTBX 255247 Y X p TTBX G G N N ? COTS on far end of car, hard to see
Canadian Freight Railcar Gallery (as of 29-Aug-2020)
"American Railroads" → "Boston & Maine"
Then scroll down to find the photo.
TTBX 254646 1988-11 Y X p TTBX G G N N 3 N N N yellow flat, grey rack Guilford "G" open-top/full side/open end bilevel
TTRX lease cars
You may have to join this group to see the photos
Alternative URL: https://groups.io/g/BM-RR → Photo Albums → B&M Auto Racks → TTRX lease cars
TTRX 908822 1987-10 Y X p X ? ? 2 different photos
Photo on ebay (noted on 07-Dec-2020)
Identified as "RAILROAD PRINT BOSTON & MAINE B&M AUTORACK TTKX #908827"
TTKX 908827 X N 3 N N N blue (rack AND car!) "BM" tri-level
Photo on ebay (noted on 03-23-2014)
"not found" as of Dec, 2020.
TTKX 908803

Renumberings/Conversions/Dispositions

Models

Note Accurail has a "open side" double deck auto-rack (stock # 9210, car # TTBX 908820??) that is of unknown accuracy. Listed on Accurail web site, Dec 2020.

Revision History

File History for THIS page
Date Who Description
08-Apr-2020 KG Akerboom Initial release
25-Apr-2020 KG Akerboom Added Houghton's RailImages web site
05-May-2020 KG Akerboom Moved ORER notes into separate section
21-Jul-2020 KG Akerboom "Photos" table - changed "vertical" text to PNG of "sideways" text; added "Markings" columns
07- thru
16-Aug-2020 KG Akerboom Added ORER data (History only, not dims or notes yet) for 63 more registers, courtesy of James Kinkaid
29-Aug-2020 KG Akerboom Added Freight Car Journal reference(s)
29-Aug-2020 KG Akerboom Added "Canadian Freight Railcar Gallery" photos
01-Nov-2020 KG Akerboom Added groups.io.BM-RR photos
08-Dec-2020 KG Akerboom Added ebay photo
12-Dec-2020 KG Akerboom Added model info
21-Dec-2020 KG Akerboom Added groups.io "MFCL" info
31-Dec-2020 KG Akerboom Updated misc stuff