They are definately neat and we are all very grateful to both your grandfather and you for preserving them and sharing them.

Many things can be learned for prototype operations and detailing current layout projects and each statistic learned and recorded makes the puzzle more complete. The fact that one of these cars is stenciled "for bulk feed only" will match up to a list of cars that may show up as rebuilt in 1964 after the wreck, and may explain how or why a car ended up on that rebuild list or scrapped. (JWH probably has it all listed anyway. I am usually about fourteen years behind him) The 116072 box car probably ended it's career after this and for those that go that far,(those proverbial rivet counters - NO Boxcar for you!) it may not show up on a post 1964 layout or this may again explain a rebuild or repaint out of the norm.....Modelers of PN trains in around the mid sixties can certainly now justify those cool Flying "A" tank cars, etc...

Never be sorry for something shared, wow..... the clarity is great and you have the ability to staighten us out when we ask. Gotta start that sketch now...... This is what articles are made out of for here or the Bee Line.
Later

Now you did it! After looking at your pictures of the derailment I went back and found my book on Accident Investigation put out by the AAR in 1974. The book was issued to all management staff of the Reading Mechanical Department. Yes, I was the General Supervisor, Passenger for the Reading in '74 and worked out of Reading Terminal in Philly.

The book goes into a great deal of detail in explaining how the forces and dynamics of the train and the rail interact. There is a check list of things to look for to determine the cause of a wreck. There are also examples of forms to collect data from the scene. The final report of a wreck was used to determine if changes to operations, equipment or maintenance procedures were required.

While I used the information in my job on the Reading, I've found it is also useful to figure out why my HO trains derail. You might be surprised at how similar the causes can be.

Gary L.

Does anyone have any pictures of the one at Lees Crossroads on the P H &P.? Todd Shoffler