Southern Pacific 10

Southern Pacific 10

Railcar

SPCRR Carbarn

Restoration candidate, currently used for storage

28' Length

Carter Brothers

1880

Oregonian Railway
    1800
Oregon & California Railway
    1881
Oregon Western Railroad Company
    1889 
Southern Pacific
    1890
South Pacific Coast Railroad
    Feburary 11, 1899
Nevada & California Railroad
    1905
Southern Pacific
    1959
Private owner
    1960
SPCRR
    June 1994

Southern Pacific Railroad 10

OR 246
    (1880)
OWR 246
    (Nov 1, 1889)
SPC 492
    (1899)
N&C 445
    (190X)
SP 445
    (1909)
SP 10
    (1945/46)

Box Car

20 ton

28'

Unrestored; in use as tool / storage car. Planned restoration as SP # 10 appearance in 1960 to show 80 years of commercial railroad service.

6/1/1994

Stored Indoors

Semi-operable

This 28-foot, 20-ton, 36-inch gauge ventilator boxcar was constructed by Carter Brothers in 1880 as Oregon Railway Ltd. #246. The car's ownership timeline reflects the complex corporate evolution of Pacific Northwest railroading: the Oregon Railway became Oregonian Railway Ltd. (of Scotland) on May 4, 1880, only months after the car was built. [Note: Historical uncertainty exists whether the car was ordered by Oregon Railway or Oregonian Railway based on the 1880 construction date.] The Oregon Railway was taken over by Oregonian Railway Ltd. on December 11, 1880.

The Oregonian Railway Ltd. was leased to the Oregon & California Railroad on October 1, 1881, though this lease terminated on May 1, 1884 with operations reverting to Oregonian Railway Ltd. The company entered receivership from November 15, 1884 to April 4, 1890 under receiver Charles N. Scott. During this period, it was reorganized as the Oregon Western Railroad Company from November 1, 1889 to April 4, 1890, though equipment was not relettered. The Oregon Western Railroad Company was sold at foreclosure on April 4, 1890 to Richard Koehler acting on behalf of Southern Pacific. The property was transferred to the Oregonian Railroad on May 19, 1890 (SP ownership; ORR was incorporated by SP on April 19, 1890).

Between 1890 and 1893 the ORR was converted to standard gauge, though some dual gauge trackage remained for narrow gauge operation until 1895. The car was transferred to the Southern Pacific-owned South Pacific Coast Railroad on February 11, 1899, becoming SPC (2nd) #492. It was subsequently transferred to the Southern Pacific-owned Nevada & California Railroad in 190*X* as N&C #445. The N&C operated from May 11, 1905 to July 1, 1909, after which it became Southern Pacific #445. The N&C was sold to the Central Pacific Railway on February 29, 1912, which was merged into SP on June 30, 1959, though SP had operated the narrow gauge under lease from CP despite owning CP.

The car was renumbered to Southern Pacific #10 in 1945 or 1946 and was rebuilt in 1948. It remained in continuous commercial service until the narrow gauge was abandoned on April 30, 1960, completing 80 years of freight service. The complete car was sold to a private collector in Forest Grove, Oregon in 1960 and was later stored in the blimp hangar at Tillamook Air Museum in Tillamook, Oregon.

The car was donated to SPCRR in June 1994 and arrived at Ardenwood in 19*X*. The last shop markings "RPKD OYO1 11 60" (repacked at Owenyo on January 11, 1960) were still visible in 2000 (the last documented report). It currently serves unrestored as a tool and storage car. Plans call for restoration to its 1960 appearance as SP #10, which would showcase 80 years of commercial railroad service and represent the final era of California narrow gauge operations.

* Unknown date information, closest confident date range used.
[] Needs further research or citation

Collection

492

Yes