86 footers in Lafayette?

[fr8fiend]

Hi all,

I have a buddy out in Lafayette who occasionally sends me pictures and videos of old 86’ boxcars passing through town on NS. These look similar to some of the CRSA cars in Detroit, with various logos like NS, GT, IC, Conrail, etc.

Looking at the wiki, I can’t seem to find any information on these. Does anyone have any info on them? I’m wondering who the customers might be, how often they can be spotted in Lafayette, where else they might be traveling from, etc.

It’s always fascinating to see these old cars still in service. I’m hoping I can make the trip down there to catch some this summer. Anyway, any insight is greatly appreciated. TIA!

[AARR]

My guess is they are loaded in Dearborn with Ford pickup stampings, picked up by CN who only a few miles away interchanges them to NS in Melvindale at Oakwood Yard and are shipped to Assembly plants in Kansas City.

I don’t have my notes in front of me so some of my details may be incorrect.

[LansingRailFan]

My guess is they are loaded in Dearborn with Ford pickup stampings, picked up by CN who only a few miles away interchanges them to NS in Melvindale at Oakwood Yard and are shipped to Assembly plants in Kansas City.

I don’t have my notes in front of me so some of my details may be incorrect.

100%. CN/GTW/NS/CR ones. I don’t think there’s any CSX ones in the Dearborn pool. They ride down the Wabash line

[GP30M4216]

So this comment may be related…or maybe not. In watching the Elkhart virtual railfan camera, there are a pair of trains that pass by which have daily cuts of 86’ boxcars. One of them is 19k, which goes from Elkhart, down the Marion Branch, and then west on the Wabash to Decatur. The return train keeps changing symbol and I’m not sure what it is at this moment. There’s a wide mix of railroad equipment in the pool: NS/CR, CN (including GT and IC predecessors), UP (typically cars with MP reporting marks), CSX, and some of those newer outside braced cars with reporting marks I don’t recall. The cars don’t come back by the Elkhart cam on another train, so they must go west from Elkhart. I wonder if they go to and from Chicago Stamping? Heading to Decatur, they should pass through Lafayette, right? I wish I knew what the destination plant was for these cars!

Fr8fiend, is your buddy reporting cuts of like 8-13 cars per train, or larger cuts of 20, 30 or more?

Growing up in the immediate vicinity of the GTW and NS, I didn’t really realize how rare these cars are outside of a few remaining service lanes these days. I wish I had done more photography of these cars even 10 years ago before so many of them got the graffiti treatment. Either way, it fun to see the variety of them on the Elkhart cam since I can’t see them closer to home!

[MB Modeler]

I think those 86' footers go to Ford Kansas City assembly, from Ford stamping in Chicago.

30N is the current symbol for the northbound train which used to be 18K

Jeff Hall

[fr8fiend]

So this comment may be related…or maybe not. In watching the Elkhart virtual railfan camera, there are a pair of trains that pass by which have daily cuts of 86’ boxcars. One of them is 19k, which goes from Elkhart, down the Marion Branch, and then west on the Wabash to Decatur. The return train keeps changing symbol and I’m not sure what it is at this moment. There’s a wide mix of railroad equipment in the pool: NS/CR, CN (including GT and IC predecessors), UP (typically cars with MP reporting marks), CSX, and some of those newer outside braced cars with reporting marks I don’t recall. The cars don’t come back by the Elkhart cam on another train, so they must go west from Elkhart. I wonder if they go to and from Chicago Stamping? Heading to Decatur, they should pass through Lafayette, right? I wish I knew what the destination plant was for these cars!

Fr8fiend, is your buddy reporting cuts of like 8-13 cars per train, or larger cuts of 20, 30 or more?

Growing up in the immediate vicinity of the GTW and NS, I didn’t really realize how rare these cars are outside of a few remaining service lanes these days. I wish I had done more photography of these cars even 10 years ago before so many of them got the graffiti treatment. Either way, it fun to see the variety of them on the Elkhart cam since I can’t see them closer to home!

Thanks for your response! Checking google earth, I do see that Chicago Stamping gets the 86 footers, but no idea how to determine whether or not they’re the same ones my friend is catching in Lafayette. As an aside, any idea when this plant is active? I’m a bit closer to Chicago, so maybe I’ll head down there on a warm day to check things out.

Interestingly enough, my buddy sporadically finds cuts of them staged in Lafayette (not sure if ’staged’ is the right term). So, no engine attached and just waiting to be picked up (not sure by who, or which direction they’re heading). These lines, as well as the ones that are just passing through, both seem to easily have 20-30+ boxcars on them.

As you can probably tell, I’m not super knowledgeable about this stuff, but I do find it super interesting and really cool that these cars are still in use. Appreciate everyone who’s chimed in so far!

[LakeATCS]

The entire US fleet of 86 footers is on its last legs. 99.5% of the cars are up against the 50 year limit. Most of these are pushing 47 to 48 years old.. which means they only have 2 or 3 years left. If you want to see these cars DO IT NOW.. The last of the old cars were built in 1980.

I say OLD cars, There is one weird small exception.. (and if you have never seen an outside braced 86 footer your in for a treat). UP financed 65 new 86 foot cars through an intermediary road in 2000. These cars went from NKCR to another road a few years back, but they are basically UP cars.

Trinity 10485, built 8-10/00, series 860001-860065, plate G. (since passed to another road)

[GP30M4216]

I think those 86' footers go to Ford Kansas City assembly, from Ford stamping in Chicago.

30N is the current symbol for the northbound train which used to be 18K

Jeff Hall

It's always fun when your guesses are likely correct! Thanks for this info.