Central Vermont 40000-series boxcars, as built Roman lettering, 1924-1940

The Central Vermont received 200 Howe truss single-sheathed 40-foot boxcars from American Car & Foundry in late 1924. These cars, numbered 40000-40199, represent some of the earliest examples of what are commonly referred to as “alternate” standard ARA boxcars.

The cars were delivered with wood six-foot doors, Andrews trucks, and Hutchins roofs. They had an inside height of 8 feet, 6 inches. As built, they were equipped with vertical brake staffs, but all would eventually be retrofitted with geared handbrakes and Ajax brakewheels. They also came equipped with Carmer uncoupling levers. The sides had seven grab irons, while the ends were equipped with six rung ladders. 

The ends of these cars were perhaps their most unusual feature. They were composite ends (wood with two vertical and two diagonal braces). Spanning these braces across the top was a pressed steel component referred to as a top end plate.

The cars remained in service, pretty much as built, through the late 1950s and early 1960s when many of them were retired or placed in some form of company service. Approximately 25 of these cars were modified with the addition of grain hatches to the roof and hopper bottoms for grain service. 

Painting and Lettering

Just prior to and throughout WWII, the CV changed from the as-delivered Roman style lettering to the stacked Gothic lettering, with the road name spelled out in two lines, with the addition of CV reporting marks above the car number, like that shown on CV 40025 (which is a restored car at the Strasburg RR). Initially, there was a white line above the CV and below the car numbers. As the cars were repainted through the 1950s these lines tended to disappear (see CV 40050).

Starting in 1963 the cars received intertwined CVs on the doors. These only appeared on the doors of the single sheathed revenue cars, despite what some model manufacturers have issued over the years.

Models

The CV 40000-series cars can be modeled using the Funaro & Camerlengo resin models. F&C still carries these as their Kit 7060 (as-built cars) or Kit 7061 (cars later equipped with roof hatches and hopper bottoms).

We make two sets of decals for these cars. This set (CV-101) is for the as-built Roman lettering. Each set will decal one car.