| Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Class XML-11 49451 at Eola, Illinois on an unknown day in May 1980, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. The cardboard sign on the door reads: BROKEN DOOR PLEASE FIX. This car was stenciled: WHEN EMPTY RETURN TO AGENT CB&Q RR LACROSSE, WISC. It was also stenciled: XL and HV.12.69, indicating that it had loader devices and had been repaired at Havelock in December 1969. It has a non-standard paint scheme, likely because the merger was anticipated to be approved, the Burlington Northern colors had been chosen, but not the lettering font or style. The following is excerpted from the book, CB&Q Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, by Michael J. Spoor: CB&Q #'s 49400 - 49799 were built at Havelock ( CB&Q shops in Nebraska ) during 1966 ( as Class XML-11 ). Built to a Northern Pacific design, these were the only boxcars on the Q to feature the waffle pattern on the car side. All of the cars featured the combination 6' and 8' plug doors with grain access doors ( at the top of the 8' door ) originally introduced in 1963 on the Class XM-4's. Also like the XM-4's, they had an inside length of 50' 6" and a 5,080 cu. ft. capacity. While the XM-4B's of 1966 came with roofwalks and ladders, these cars never received either, even though both groups of cars were being built at the same time. The waffle side cars featured protrusions on the exterior which held load tie-downs on the interior. Between 1967 and 1970, 126 cars had their loading devices removed and were re-classed XM-4C while retaining their former numbers. The only visible difference was the class stencil - XML or XL ( loader equipped ) or XM ( loaders removed ) - to the right of the CAPY data. |