Peter's Model Railroading | The PRR Chartiers Branch | Equipment
F25

These well cars were used to haul tall and large items, such as industrial transformers and structural frameworks. The "well" feature allowed tall items to clear tunnels and bridge, whereas such a load on a regular flat car would make it too tall. These cars had a capacity to carry 140,000lbs of cargo. The well was 25'2" long and 2'4" deep. The cars were built by Altoona Car Shops, two in February 1916 and the remaining 25 in late 1917. All made it through the merger into the Penn Central, but were retired by 1974. I have no evidence to show for this, but since Fort Pitt Bridge Works in Canonsburg built bridge components, I suspect that these cars would have been seen on the Chartiers Branch from time to time. Six of the cars were modified and reclassified as F25a, but that was done in 1926, which falls outside my modeled era. The car used Crown cast steel side frame trucks which had a metal spring plank.

Specifications

References

• The PRRT&HS Pennsylvania Railroad Flat Cars book covers this car
• The Official Railway Equipment Register, Volume 31, 1915
• Car Builders' Cyclopedia of American Practice (1919 edition)
• Photo and Drawing
• Photo and Drawing
• 2E-F2 Truck Drawing
• HO-scale Decals (ask for other scales)
• The Pennsy Modeler Info