| SOO Line X1263 at Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 23, 1984, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. I believe this was known as a Fowler Patent box car designed by W. E. Fowler, CPR Master Car Builder, who later patented this weight-saving design which became known as the Fowler boxcar. Prior to the Fowler design, boxcars typically had wooden structural members sandwiched between an interior and exterior wooden skin. The Fowler car eliminated the exterior layer of wood, producing a cheaper, lighter car that could carry a greater payload. This design also prevented grain leakage at seam between the floor and the side of the car. |