Revisiting the Evans Breadbox Trough Coil Coaches

 Greetings All,

Revisiting the Evans Breadbox Trough Coil Coaches

I recently took a close look at my 1:87 scale Evans steel coil coaches fleet. A few of the cars weren't getting much if any layout time for a couple of reasons and were in need of some cosmetic help. Lets take a look at the prototype and project.

Prototype Information

In 1965 the Evans Products Company began to build what became known as the breadbox trough coil coach after five years of study with the New York Central as detailed in the July 1966 NYC Headlight Magazine. Key features of the car were its 52' long continuous trough that allowed for heavier loads and coil covers that are attached to the car and can be opened and closed by one person. 

A total of sixty of these unique cars were built with NYC Subsidiary Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, a big time steel hauler, signing up for fifty of the 125 ton capacity cars that started to arrive in the summer of 1966 while the Bessemer & Lake Erie purchased the other ten. The coil covers did have their early benefits but rough handling at the mills subsequently rendered the covers unworkable. In 1973 the P&LE sent the cars back to Evans and had the covers removed. 

After the changes at the top the cars were used to transport hot steel coils which did not need protection. The P&LE and B&LE used them into the 1990s with the remaining cars being sold the the Hartford & Slocum RR. Most remained in service into the 2000s.

Model Information

The P&LE and B&LE Evans Coil Coaches have been offered over the years by Lionel, AHM and Bachmann and I have cars from each of the manufacturers in my fleet. Interestingly the road numbers regardless manufacturer were basically the same. The clam shell style covers on my models imitate the prototype as they are difficult to operate.

KP&W Rebuilds

It is a well established 1:87 scale fact that the Kings Port & Western RR purchased a good number of the Evans coil coaches when they became available and started a rebuilding program to make the hoods operate reliably. 

The KP&W serves the large Kings Port Steel complex in Kings Port, NY and with the cooperation of the mill workers and their customers the clamshell coil coaches provide the bulk of their steel hauling cars earning revenue for all concerned.

Photo courtesy of Ralph Vossberg

In August 2014 I sent several of my coil coaches to the KP&W for rebuilding including these two cars that are part of my lease fleet. I believe this was the first of our virtual interchanges.

The KP&W shops did such a good job these cars are still in service ten years later!

The KP&W Shops were also contracted to rebuild several P&LE  and B&LE cars that are in assigned PCCM Kings Port Steel service between the NYCTL & KPD. 

Un Rebuilt Coil Coaches

Other than five coil coaches in PCCM service two coil coaches in the fleet were unable to be rebuilt due to missing clamshell covers like the below pair. BTW, the PC never had this car which also contributed to its lack of layout time.

The CB&Q fantasy scheme coil coach was another car that languished in the box while the DT&I fantasy scheme car does get layout time. 

These three coil coaches were sent to the Patti-O Paint Shop for new paint and lettering.

Elgin, Joliet & Eastern RR Coil Cars 

The EJ&E was a major steel hauler serving US Steel in South Chicago. After looking at photos of their numerous coil steel hauling cars I decided to paint and letter the three coil coaches in a freelanced EJ&E scheme using an existing set of EJ&E decals.

EJ&E 6746 is ready for reassembly.

EJ&E 6743 is ready to join the 6741 and 6763 for a return to revenue service.

The three cars are now in revenue service and headed to the Bedford Park Ford Plant.

Steel coils made by PC Ralph look great in the open gondolas!!!

The steel coils are delivered to the Ford Plant.

Final Thoughts and Comments

While I attempt to model prototypically accurate rolling stock most times I am totally fine with choosing the EJ&E for the three cars in this project. I already had the decals on hand and this railroad was a steel hauler and the gondolas don't standout to me as wrong like the PC and CB&Q cars did. 

The fantasy scheme DT&I coil coach survived the project unscathed. The DT&I was Henry Ford's RR and it does serve the Ford Plant on my layout so I left it alone as a shoutout to the Ford Motor

Company. 

A pair of empty EJ&E coil coaches head back to South Chicago in this good sized freight train.

Additional Information

New York Central Headlight 07/1966

Lionel Freight Car Friday, Evans Breadbox Coil Cars.

NYCTL Freight Car Spotlight 2-2022, Evans Breadbox Coil Cars.

Bachmann Clam Shell Coil Gondolas, Trains.com

Hartford & Slocum RR

H&S 42292 

H&S 42268 

August 2014 Blog Post

Thanks for reading!!!

See you soon!!!