Canada Atlantic Freight Cars Overview

Totals

DateOwnedLeasedSourceNotes
1901-0741370ORER 1901-07
1901-1037100ORER 1901-10
1905-0228420ORER 1905-02
1905-0728420ORER 1905-07
1906-0425570ORER 1906-04

History

Date Event Source Notes
1899-10 CA built 500 cars at the Ottawa shops this year, about to build 500 more for spring, capacity 70-80,000 lbs. CRSW p303
1899-10-06 CA to start construction of 500 new freight cars, capacity 70-80000 lbs, air-brake. Expected completion by April for total of 1000 new cars this year. Fleming: Renfrew Mercury
1899-12 CA building 50 flat cars in Ottawa shops. CRSW p356
1900-03 Work has resumed in the car shops. Propose to build 700 freight cars by Jul 1 (principally box for grain). CRSW p41
1900-05 Four box cars being turned out daily from the Ottawa shops. CRSW p137
1900-06 Ottawa fire diminished lumber supply and so the company can't build cars; employees temporarily suspended. Shops are now engaged with fitting air brakes and patent draw bars; 2000 cars need to be equipped. CRSW p167
1902-04 CA looking into materials to construct 1500 new freight cars at their shops. CRSW p133
1902-05 Car repair shops damaged by fire recently. Two passenger cars, a combine, two freight cars and a wrecking derrick were destroyed. CRSW p169
1902-06-20 Ottawa car shops building 25 platform cars for St. Anthony Lumber Co. Leader p15
1902-07 CA building 35 platform cars with 60,000 lbs capacity. CRSW p240

Mysteries

1903 Box Cars

These were reported in CRSW, 1903-11, p376, but never appeared in ORER.

20 Box Cars being built at Ottawa Shops. Capacity 40000, weight 28000, length over sheeting, 34 ft 2 in, height to top of running board, 12 ft 5 in; width 9 ft 1 in; journals 7 in by 3 1/4 in; wooden bodies, diamond trucks, steel axles, cast iron brake shoes, wrought iron doors, double pine roof, steel spiral springs, metallic brown paint, westinghouse brakes.

1899 Construction

CRSW, 1900-01, p10 reported the CA "built about 400 box cars at its Ottawa shops last year, also a number of refrigerator cars. These were probably the 6000 series cars, as their capacity is given by the October and November issues. At the same time, each of these issues indicates that about 500 had been built, and 500 more were under construction.

CRSW, 1899-12, p356 indicates that about 50 flat cars were under construction.

1900 Construction

CRSW, 1900-03, p74: CA proposes to build 700 cars by July 1. CRSW, 1900-3, p137 reported that 4 cars were being built daily.

1902 Construction

CRSW, 1902-04, p133: CA looking for materials to construct 1500 new freight cars at their shops. It is unlikely that these cars were ever built, unless for another customer.

References

CRSW
Canadian Railway and Shipping World. Available from the National Museum of Science and Technology
ORER
Official Railway Equipment Register.
NMC S1121 Box 10
National Map Collection, S1121 Box 10, Grand Trunk Railway Freight Car Diagrams.

Notes