Empire Belt RR Operations Part 3 / Running Colorful Free Runners

Greetings All,

Empire Belt RR Operations Part 3

Running Colorful Free Runners

Welcome to part 3 of this ongoing operations series that seeks to introduce and enhance more prototypical freight car handling to my layout. 

Today we'll explore ways to maximize the use of the colorful Incentive Per Diem boxcars, which came into service in the mid to late 1970s The IPD cars were considered free runners during their time in IPD service and were not bound by the AAR rules for movements.

Basic Definition of Incentive Per Diem Boxcars

The IPD program put in place by the Interstate Commerce Commission incentivized new freight car production to overcome a perceived boxcar shortage. The per diem rate at this time for a standard boxcar was about $12.00. The new cars built as part of this program had an incentive rate of about $10.00 on top of the standard rate and a 4.7 cents per mile rate. 

TPW 50568 is one such colorful I.P.D. boxcar on the roster that was painted and lettered by the Patti-O Paint Shop. 

I.P.D. Boom

The IPD program allowed finance companies to purchase large numbers of cars and lease them to short lines that had little to no money for capital expenditures, little track miles, little to no rolling stock nor online customers. By 1978 more than 15,000 IPD boxcars were in revenue service and about 40,000 by 1981. Mississippi Export RR, a 43 mile short line, leased 200 IPD cars from Itel Rail.

This worked well for awhile as leasing companies and owners using freight brokers had the IPD cars loaded about 75% of the time when the economy was good and car loadings were plentiful. Compare this with the RR boxcars under AAR rules which were loaded only about 10% of the time which was one of the reasons for the perceived boxcar shortages.  

To Bust

A nationwide recession in the early 1980s dramatically reduced freight car loadings and the Class 1 RRs were soon able to handle the car loadings with their own fleets. IPD boxcars were sent back to their short lines that had to scramble for track space to store the glut of IPD boxcars coming back. With no loads and now unable to make payments some short lines and leasing companies went bankrupt.

Some Of The I.P.D. Boxcars In The Fleet

AP 60394 is another IPD boxcar painted by the Patti O Paint Shop. The 60394 is leased from SSI Rail as noted by the lettering under the ACI label and the trust information in the upper left corner.

Port Huron & Detroit, PHD 1008, is a factory painted model that indicates it is leased from SSI Rail. The PHD was a nineteen mile short line that had maybe thirty leased boxcars in its fleet. It was a rarity in that it that served online customers, survived the recession and later became a property of the Chessie System. The ex PHD trackage is still in use today by CSX.

Galveston Wharves is another colorful IPD car on the roster. The RR is headquartered in Galveston, Texas and was a 32 mile terminal switching railroad owned by the City of Galveston.

Utilizing Incentive Per Diem Freight Cars

While the class one RRs did not like this program the IPD cars having agents or brokers soliciting car loads enjoyed a 75% load to empty ratio and seemed to solve the perceived boxcar shortage.

If using IPD boxcars in model railroad operations remember that they are considered free runners and can be loaded for destinations in any direction. Attractive for those not paying the higher rates!!!

Using I.P.D. Boxcars in model railroad operations

TPW 71026 is leased by ITEL to the Toledo, Peoria & Western. This car was part of a ten car TP&W paint project with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR for use in the Penn Central Car Movements Virtual Ops. 

Car Movement #1: The TPW 70126 has arrived on the layout at Terminal Yard loaded with canned vegetables from CC Lange Co. in Black Creek, Wisconsin. The car will be interchanged with the Empire Belt RR at Empire City for movement to Ralph's Grocery Warehouse. The green stripe on the car card indicates the car is in PCCM virtual ops service. Todays car movements are non PCCM moves.

Car Movement #2: TPW 70126 is moved from Terminal Yard to North Side Yard for the interchange with the Empire Belt RR.

Car Movement #3: The EBRR delivers TPW 70126 to Ralph's Grocery Warehouse. After being unloaded at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse and made empty there are several options for the 70126. One option is to send it back to the TP&W empty. Expediting the movement of this high per diem charges freight car off the EBRR property makes good financial sense.

Car Movement #4: The empty TP&W 70126 is pulled from Ralph's Grocery Warehouse and moved to North Side Yard. However before the car leaves the yard the EBRR freight agent with no suitable home road or non IPD boxcars available needs it to fulfill an empty car request from local shipper Red Wing Milling. This will make ITEL and TP&W happy. Remember also that ITEL had their own agents soliciting loads.

Car Movement #5: The 70126 gets spotted at Red Wing Milling to be loaded with bagged flour for Stop & Shop Grocery Stores in Boston Mass. Wait Toledo, Ohio is in the opposite direction of Boston Mass! True, but the IPD cars are not bound by the AAR rules that would have it going back towards Ohio.

Car Movement #6: The Empire Belt pulls the loaded 70126 from Red Wing Milling and moves it North Side Yard.

Car Movement #7: The EBRR delivers TPW 70126 to Terminal Yard for interchange with the Penn Central /Conrail.

Car Movement #8: TPW 70126 is placed in an outbound train for movement off layout to Boston, Mass.

Car Movement #9: TPW 70126 is on the move off layout to Boston, Mass. See you next time!!!

Apalachicola Northern 5517

AN 5517 is one of 800 IPD cars leased from ITEL Rail. The AN was a 96 mile short line. It was lensed at North Side Yard in Empire City. 

Simple and easy four cycle waybill 

car movements for this IPD Car

Car Movement #1: AN boxcar 5517 arrives in Terminal Yard with a load of packaging materials for Walsh Steel Wool Products in Empire City, NY.

Car Movement #2: AN 5517 is pulled from the inbound train and placed into the freight consist of Train EC-1.

Car Movement #3: Train EC-1 takes the AN 5517 from Terminal Yard to North Side Yard in Empire City for interchange with the Empire Belt RR.

Car Movement #4: The AN 5517 is being moved towards Walsh Steel Wool Products with a load from St Joe Paper in Port St Joe, Florida.

Car Movement #5: The EBRR pulls the AN 5517 that has been loaded with steel wool products by Walsh Steel Wool Products and moves it to North Side Yard.

Car Movement #6: AN 5517, loaded with steel wool for American Hardware Supply in Bedford Park, NY, gets delivered to Terminal Yard in EBRR Train EB-2 for interchange with the Penn Central / Conrail.

Car Movement #7: AN 5517 is placed into local train BP-41 that will take it to Bedford Park Yard.

Car Movement #8: Train BP-41 departs Terminal Yard and hauls AN 5517 to Bedford Park Yard.

Car Movement #9: AN 5517 is delivered to American Hardware Supply with its load of Steel Wool from Walsh Steel Wool Products.

Car Movement #10: AN 5517 is made empty at American Hardware Supply and then loaded with bulk hardware for Reliable Machine Company in Empire City, NY. The Bedford Park Yard Job pulls the car and delivers it to Bedford Park Yard.

Car Movement #11: Train BT-27 takes the AN 5517 from Bedford Park Yard to Terminal Yard.

Car Movement #12: AN 5517 is placed into the freight consist of Train EC-1 for delivery to North Side Yard in Empire City, NY.

Car Movement #13: AN 5517 is moved from Terminal Yard to North Side Yard in Train EC-1 for interchange with the Empire Belt RR.

Car Movement #14: The EBRR then delivers AN 5517 to Reliable Machine Company.

As luck would have it Reliable Machine Company has cutting machines that need to be shipped to Port St Joe Paper just when the AN 5517 was made empty at their siding. Imagine that!! The EBRR will pick up the loaded IPD car and move it to North Side Yard.

Car Movement #15: AN 5517 has been pulled from Reliable Machine Company and brought to North Side Yard to await movement to Terminal Yard.

Car Movement #16: EBRR Train EB-2 takes the AN 5517 from North Side Yard to Terminal Yard.

Car Movement #17: AN 5517 has been delivered to Terminal Yard and is being placed in an outbound train that will take it off layout to Port St. Joe, Florida.

Car Movement #18: AN 5517 departs Terminal Yard for movement off layout towards Florida.

Additional Thoughts and Comments

The above are only two examples of the many options available when Incentive Per Diem boxcars show up on your layout. As documented above the TPW 70126 provided nine moves to cross the layout and head off layout. The AN 5517 provided eighteen moves to complete its four cycle waybill. The IPD cars are not a bad bang for our modeling bucks!

Coming Soon

In the next installment we'll continue to examine ways to add more prototypical model railroad operations with a focus on Railbox freight cars that appeared in the early to mid seventies.

Prototype Sources and Links

Classic Train Magazine Spring 2024. Article by Jeff Wilson starting on page 28 is an excellent review of the IPD craze of the 1970s. Full of photos and prototype information it is highly recommended.

The IPD Boxcar Story video

Prototype Photos 

Apalachicola Northern IPD boxcar 5517 at Columbus, Ohio in 1983.

Galveston Wharves IPD boxcar 1179 at Galveston, Texas in 1979.

Galveston Wharves IPD boxcar 1200 at Barberton, Ohio in 1983.

Mississippi Export RR IPD boxcar 873 at Mexicali, Mexico in 1979.

Port Huron & Detroit IPD boxcar 1029 at Port Huron in 1988.

TPW IPD boxcar 70126 at North Little Rock, Arkansas. Undated.

Thanks for reading!!!!

See you soon!!!

Empire Belt RR Defined and Operations Part 2

Greetings All,

Empire Belt RR Defined and Operations Part 2

In our last blog entry we examined and defined the role of the Empire Belt RR as a switching district railroad that services rail customers within Empire City, NY and how it interacts with the parent road and the national rail system.

Today we'll take a look at trying to better organize the movement of freight cars throughout the layout in a more prototypical manner. I'm currently setting up my freight operations by dividing the freight car fleet into some basic categories. For today we'll focus on the Assigned Service Cars, Ping Pong Cars and General Freight Pool Cars. 

Assigned or Dedicated Pool Service

Prototype railroads assigned freight cars to freight pools serving various large industries like auto parts manufacturers and appliance manufacturers to name a couple whether or not the industry was served by them.

APRR Boxcar 4160 in Assigned or Dedicated Pool Service

Lets catch up with APRR boxcar 4160 that is in assigned or dedicated pool service to the EBRR. In part one of this series the 4160 was loaded at Drywell Inks with 55 gallon drums of ink for the Lightning Press in the Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage complex.

After loading at Drywell Ink the 4160 was interchanged with the Penn Central at Terminal Yard and was delivered to Lightning Press.

Once the car is unloaded and made empty it will head back to the EBRR North Side Yard in Empire City, NY. These instructions are on the boxcar and the empty car slip in the car card.

Upon being returned to North Side Yard the EBRR freight agent will review his empty car requests and select freight cars suitable for the loading requirements of the local shipper(s). Today the AP 4160 will be readied for movement to Walsh Steel Wool Products to fulfill an empty car request.

Walsh Steel Wool has two shipments needing to be moved to their respective consignees. The first is American Hardware in Bedford Park.

The second shipment is consigned to Gotham Builders in Long Island City, NY, an off layout industry served by the LIRR.

How Does the APRR Profit

While the AP 4160 is on Empire Belt RR property the EBRR pays the APRR a per diem (daily charge). The AP 4160, a 40' boxcar, is more suited for the smaller sidings in Empire City while it is now too small for most shippers served by the APRR. The agreement between the EBRR and APRR provides a steady income for the APRR and provides the EBRR with a good serviceable freight car to meet its shippers needs without making any large capital investments. 

Flexibility is the Key

Using empty car requests from local shippers allows for flexibility in where and when a car gets loaded and where it will be delivered. Having several such cards allows for the agent and yardmaster to meet the needs of  the local industries. Remember there is no need to send an empty car to an industry with a full siding until such industry is ready to receive such empty. 

                 Getting Loaded Freight Cars Onto The Layout

By necessity some groups of foreign road freight cars that come onto the layout have been loaded by off layout shippers. The consignees are either on layout or being run thru to an off layout industry.  Pairing up origins and destinations is part of the operational upgrades that are underway.

Ping Pong Anyone?

Privately owned specialty cars like this Thrall All-Door boxcar belonging to the Masonite Corporation are loaded off layout and deliver their products to an on layout customer or run thru to interchange with the LIRR. Once empty it is to be sent back to Laurel, Miss. as noted on the car. 

TPFX 5510, the first PCCM freight car, is a privately owned Triangle Pacific boxcar. This company specializes in wood products and should be forwarded back to the BCOL RR in North Vancouver as stated on the left side of the door.

MDW 1192 and companions are another type of car that ping pongs back and forth. The car is owned by the Minnesota, Dakota & Western Railway which is a four mile short line RR. The MDW was controlled by the Boise Cascade Plant in International Falls, MN. 

Lettering on the car states it is for restricted loading and to see the equipment register. For ease of operation this is another car that arrives loaded and heads off layout empty.

WCRC center beam flatcars 9226 and 9232 belong to the Washington Central Railroad Company and are assigned to the Cascade Warehouse in Salem, Oregon. This is another example of a car that ping pongs back and forth bringing loads and heading for home rail empty.

Handling of General Freight Car Pool Empties

The basic concept of the ARR car rules are that when a car is made empty on a foreign railroad that car is to be sent back empty to the forwarding railroad where that car entered the system under load or get loaded for movement in the direction of the owning road. The exception being if the connection with the forwarding railroad is in the opposite direction of the owning road.

SP boxcar 653003 is considered part of the general freight car pool. With no current load available heading west from the layout the car will depart empty from Terminal Yard to minimize per diem charges. 

The BCOL boxcar has traveled a long way to bring freight to the layout. It may be traveling a long way empty back to BCOL at Vancouver, BC following the AAR rules. This car could be held for loading but when no loads are available the car needs to be moved back to the BCOL RR.  

Reducing Imaginary Per Diem Charges

Remember your model railroad is responsible for the per diem charges when foreign road cars are on your layout. Empties like the above cars that cannot be loaded on the layout are prime candidates for expedited movement towards their home rails and off the layout. Specialty cars earn an even higher per diem so keep them moving!!!

Handling of General Freight Car Pool 

Empties Held for Loading

According to AAR car rules empty foreign road cars in the general freight car pool that have been made empty on the layout can be held for loading providing that the freight car heads in the general direction of the owning road.

Travels of Chicago Burlington & Quincy 50' Boxcar

CB&Q 50' boxcar 46662, formerly in automobile service has had its end doors welded shut and been added to the general freight car pool. We catch it delivering a load from on layout shipper Montgomery Ward to All City Storage in Bedford Park in waybill cycle 3.

Now empty the CBQ 50'er has been moved to Bedford Park Yard where the hold has been placed on it by the local freight agent according to hold slip numbered 3A.

American Hardware Supply in Bedford Park has requested a 50' boxcar for a load heading west and the CB&Q car fits that bill nicely.

The CB&Q boxcar gets moved to American Hardware Supply where it will be loaded with bulk hardware for Drake Hardware Supply in Burlington, Iowa. The car will be forwarded to Terminal Yard once loaded and sent off layout towards Selkirk and onto Iowa. 

CBQ Car Movement Summary

This four cycle waybill is designed for the CB&Q boxcar to arrive on the layout after being loaded at an off layout industry. It will move throughout the layout as it cycles thru the car slips and waybill until side four where it heads off layout. The waybill be then be turned to side one and the car is ready to come back whenever I get around to pulling it out of the box.

Travels of Seaboard Coast Line 50' boxcar

Empty SCL boxcar 28606 has a hold for local loading slip placed on it by the Terminal Yard freight agent.

SCL 50' boxcar 28606 is tabbed to fulfill an empty car request from Berk Enterprises in nearby Bedford.

After being moved to Berk the SCL car is loaded with food containers for a Jacksonville, FL consignee. It will head off layout towards Selkirk and Florida.

We are in compliance with the Freight Car Rules!

The above two examples are nice and neat and in compliance with the AAR car rules. But things aren't always so neat!!! When a freight agent needs a boxcar he needs a boxcar!!! 

We are not in compliance with the Freight Car Rules!

RDG boxcar 115455 fulfilled an empty car request from Consolidated Grocery Distributors (blue card behind waybill) and has been loaded with groceries for off layout Bohack in Bushwick, NY which is served by the Long Island RR. Last I checked this was in the opposite direction of Pennsylvania!

So what gives? 

Car rule compliance hovered around 65% for the nations railroads during the 60s. Again, when a freight car is needed to satisfy a shippers needs it is needed. 

Keeping 65% or even 50% of the freight car fleet going in the right directions whether empty or loaded can be a challenge to both 1:1 scale and model railroads. 1:1 railroads who routinely abuse the car service rules could find themselves removed from the interchange pools which would be very problematic.

Final Thoughts and Comments

Researching and adding more prototypical freight car operations for the layout has become almost a hobby itself. During model railroad operations moving freight cars around the layout in a more prototypical manner adds another level of realism to the op session and has been very rewarding.

Coming Soon 

Next installment we'll take a closer look at the Increased Per Diem boxcars mentioned in part one and take a look at the Railbox box cars that started to appear in the early to mid 1970s.

Thanks for reading!!!

See you soon!!!