SYSTEM MAP BOXCAR

Several years ago, there was a lumber yard in South Plainfield that had an ex LV box car with the system map painted on it. It was being used for storage. Anyone know if it is still there?

Yes, it's still there, I make sure at least once a week!
It's also depressing...It's rusting away, and completely painted black....Unless you walk up to it (and that's not easy to do), you'd never know it was "the" box car........

R. Heiss
A.K.A. Car Floater
MP 28 on the LVRR New York Division in South Plainfield, NJ

Who is the owner floater? Do you know. I've seen this car too. Touched it once. Lets save this one too people.
PICK

The URHS already saved the map car, I thought?
http://urhs.org/roster.html#lv97455

I thought the map car had its loading doors removed, and welded over? How could the lumber company be using it for storage?

Also, I thought there were several cars with maps?

I'm so confused...

-otto-

If you model in HO,
well the Mantua 40' LV map car is the closest.
Although BEV BEL/ Athearn did this car many times over the years, these always had a sliding door and only black print on the map, car was white overall. Heck I wish I could find a Mantua LV Map car now! Yes the doors were welded over,and the Mantua car represents this very well!!
PICK

hmmm..this is confusing!
either there were 2 different cars, or the one car was painted on both sides..but! I have also read that the "map car" was only painted on one side!!

here are 2 distinctly different maps..
one shows Binghamton and doesent have Sayre at all,
and the other is the well-known 97455..
so is the "binghamton side" the opposite side of the 97455's "Sayre side"?
or are they 2 different cars?
or..is the it the same side, same car, but painted twice??





the style of car in the 2 photos looks exactly the same..which seems (to me) like it would likely be 2 sides of the same car..
but then, why are there references to the map being painted only on one side??

there are 3 distinct possibilities here!

1. 2 different cars..one with Sayre, one with Binghamton. each only painted on one side..

2. same car, with 2 different maps on each side.

3. Only one map car, painted only on one side, had Binghamton at one time, and names were later painted-out and changed..(Binghamton changed to Sayre, and other names changed..)
that seems likely, as the 2 maps look identical other than the names..
Scot

I read somewhere else that there were several map cars and that at least one was saved. This source also said that the doors were left on the opposite side so the lumber company can be using it for storage. Presumably there are two cars, one owned by the URHS and the other by this company.

There's another car that's NOT at the URHS? Where can this second car be found exactly?

-otto-

It isn't a map car but it is LV 66523 in green paint that may interest you.

The link is www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=54217

I am only aware of one car. Scot, please date the photos you posted. That Binghampton spur irked me. Never saw or even heard of that one PICK

Sorry Pick,
I dont have any dates..they are just photos I found on-line today by doing a google search for the map car!
the photos have no dates supplied..
I just saw that Binghamton side for the first time today too!
although I think I have seen it somewhere else before..
time to dig through all the books..
Scot

The Binghamton shot comes from John Campbell's page:
http://www.lvrr.com/index.htm

the caption says:
"Lehigh Valley Map Car #1 Painted by the Sayre Shop to celebrate the Lehigh's 100 yrs."

"Map Car #1" implies there was a "Map Car #2"!
or..same car painted twice.
im still holding to the "painted over Binghamton and replaced with Sayre" theory..the 2 schemes are just too identical..

LV celebrated her 100th in April 1946. (technically a few years early..)

scot

Also if you'll notice, the car that has Binghamton on it also shows Easton and East Penn instead of Bethlehem and Allentown. I think someone in the marketing department was trying to get business in some more desirable areas, so they repainted the lettering to represent those towns. After all, it was a rolling billboard. Advertising changes to meet marketing needs.

Hi gang!

Just got back from Vegas, and saw the discussion continuing, with still no end in sight!

I will contact a friend and former LV employee who should know the answer, since the car(s - ?) sat down in Jersey City at one time, which happened to be his haunt.

Will report back as soon as I get an answer,

Car Floater

Otto,

The URHS web site has listed this car for years. It is not "saved" by any means. There have been attempts in the past, but have fallen short.

Among the remaining LV boxcars I have examined, i would say the one in Catasauqua is in the best shape.

Super