401 Class Flatcar

unknown

Steel Flat

unknown

builder..

builder lot number..

built..

type..

volume..

capacity..

operational weight..

interior length..

interior width..

interior height..

length over strikers..

overall width..

overall height..

opening type..

end type..

trucks..

A mystery car that surfaced during an examination of the Virgil Staff Collection of WP paperwork, now owned by the FRRS, and documents I acquired from Jeff Asay. In a 1962 system equipment roster, the TS is shown as owning a steel flatcar numbered 401. No other data is given.

In exploring the Asay papers, several AFEs were found relating to the acquisition and / or construction of a flat car 401 to replace flat car 400. This flat car is shown as being rebuilt from a WP 40' wood boxcar, likely a Pullman built car. WP rebuilt cars of this class into all kinds of things, including flatcars. Whether this 401 is the same as the steel 401 in the Staff paperwork is unknown. The Staff papers report the car as steel, while the 401 listed in the Asay papers would have been a wood-steel composite.

There is one reference in the Asay papers to a flat car 402 as well. Perhaps this is the car listed as 401 in the Staff papers.

More information is sorely needed!

401 series Flatcar

Tidewater Southern Railway