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Caption: The story behind this box started on the 6th of September. The 5th was a Thursday and the crew that would take the fuel cars to Cold Lake, typically never stayed overnight, they came home early Friday morning, 1:00ish. At 00:30 you could hear rail activity downtown. When downtown later that day, the returning Cold Lake crew had left a work train in our siding. Myself, I kept an eye open for older cars that were relegated to work service. This box fit that perfect. I just posted the 4605-4609 and while they spotted cars at the elevators, I took a clear shot of this box that appears to have been used for lubricants. Maybe someone can fill in a few details, I could find nothing for number 43518. Taking it's picture worked out very well, for later at 23:30, the Muskeg Mixed stopped in Redwater, picked up the work train and took it north to ???.
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Nice old wooden box, looks to be an MofW conversion from one of CN’s many Dominion Fowler boxcars. Normally there would be lettering on the sides denoting its use.
Looking at the oil stained wood and the wayside power cable and connection by the door I’m thinking this is the generator car for the ATCO boarding car(s) coupled on the right. Another great piece of bygone MOW history.
Love these Work Equipment and OCS car shots.
CN 43518 is an Engineering Dept. tool and generator car. The diesel generator would be skid mounted to the floor in the left end of the car.
Back in the day, these old outside braced 40′ wood boxcars converted to Work Equipment tool and generator cars were often stenciled ‘Tool & Enginator Car’.
The oil stains are a combination of diesel fuel and engine oil that have leaked over time during normal operation, or, at the times of an engine oil and filter change.
The engine exhaust muffler and pipe can be seen on the roofline just left of the window, and a cold air intake vent is visible under the numerals 18 on the side of the car.
The smoke stack for the coal oil fired stove is at the right end of the car roof.
The Crouse-Hinds plug and cable are clearly for a wayside power connection.
Looks like AAR Rule 18.E.6. ‘Coupler bodies must not be painted’ got overlooked on this car.
Thanks everyone, the missing lettering was painted over, just like the couplers.
At the least, there is usually a date as to when things have been maintained, definitely a no-name car. The wood on the brake platform looks safe to stand on, had to watch those.
What would the age of this car be at the time or approx build date?
I have a few photos of other 40′ wood outside braced boxcars converted to generator cars in the CN 435XX series with a built date of 1923.