| BM 20–27 | 50′ Boxcar | Converted 4/1962 from the 77000 series for bagged cement; 8 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 30–37 | 40′ Boxcar | Built/assigned 1/1963 as nitre cake cars, likely converted from the 76000 series; 8 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1966. |
| BM 40–42 | 50′ Boxcar | Built/assigned 7/1963 as nitre cake cars from the 77000 series; 3 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1966. |
| BM 40–49 (2nd) | 50′ Boxcar | Converted 7/1978 from the 77000 series for food products; 10 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 10/1990. |
| BM 50–55 | 50′ Boxcar | Converted 1/1970 from the 77000 series; 6 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1978. |
| B&M 100-149 | 50′ Boxcar, Insulated | Boston & Maine 100–149 series cars were 50 Evans-built 5,100 cu ft insulated boxcars (class RBL), constructed in late 1969 by U.S. Railway Equipment Co. at Blue Island, Illinois, and acquired by the B&M in 1970. Although rostered to the railroad, they were part of a leased fleet (USLX), reflecting the growing use of high-capacity, specialised cars for temperature-sensitive and palletised traffic.
Equipped with Dual Air Pak loaders, Hydra-Cushion underframes, and double 8 ft plug doors, the cars were designed for modern handling methods, including forklift loading with onboard pallets. ORER records show them consistently classified as insulated or refrigerator cars through the 1970s and 1980s, with only minor descriptive changes such as the addition of bulkheads and Plate C clearance notation.
The fleet began to disperse relatively early. A significant portion (35 cars) was returned by 1975, with many subsequently renumbered into USLX service or transferred to other operators, including Grand Trunk Western and industrial users such as Wickes Agricultural and M.I. Drilling Fluids. The remaining cars continued in B&M service into the early 1990s, though by 1993 the series had disappeared from the ORER.
Finished in a distinctive blue livery with Dual Air Pak and Cushion-Pak branding, these cars were commonly associated with paper and forest products traffic in New England, sometimes noted in “Budweiser” or beer-related service. They represent a transitional generation of high-cube, specialised boxcars that bridged traditional insulated cars and later fully mechanised freight equipment. |
| BM 700–718 | 50′ Boxcar | Converted 1/1968 from the 77000 series; 19 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 1/1994. |
| BM 720–723 | 50′ Boxcar | Converted 10/1979 from the 77000 series for wood flour; 4 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 4/1985. |
| BM 800–883 | 50′ Boxcar | Built 10–11/1968 by Evans Products (Lot 1-1042; original Lot 736). 50 ft 6 in inside length, 9 ft 4 in inside width, 10 ft 6 in inside height; 4,980 cu ft; 10 ft × 10 ft six-panel Superior doors. AAR XL; Dreadnaught ends with 4-3-1 rib pattern and banana taper; peaked roof with flush eaves; short ladders; no running boards; low-mounted handbrake; Hydra-Cushion underframe; DF belts/DF loader; floor loading 25k; nominal 154,000 lb capacity. Numbers 800–857 leased and 858–883 sold to B&M, via U.S. Railway Equipment Co./USLX financing; covered by ICC/STB recordations through to full release in 1992. Delivered blue sides and ends with galvanised roof and black doors, “DF/Hydra-Cushion/DF loader” panel above the number, small white intertwined BM herald; later repaints plain blue without the DF panel, ACI labels appear mid-1970s. Outside length shown as 55 ft 2 in in early ORER, later 57 ft 8 in; extreme width 10 ft 8 in; extreme height 14 ft 11 in. First listed 1/1969 with 84 cars and Note M (DF belts, Hydra-Cushion); description explicitly carried as “Hydra-Cushion underframe, DF belts” by 11/1973; combined with the 900–999 group as 800–999 from 5/1983 (171 cars total); split again 1/1997 into 801–843 (14) and 860–882 (12) alongside 903–999; last listed 4/1997. Regular in paper traffic (e.g. Ashuelot Paper, Hinsdale NH, 1973). Design identical to certain ATSF Evans cars per Neubauer.
Photos: RRPA #837 Mar 1978, RRPA #840 Aug 1990, RRPA #849 Apr 1979, RCP #863 Jun 1981, RRPA #861 Apr 1990, RRPA #872 Aug 1978 |
| BM 900–999 | 50′ Boxcar | Built 7–8/1968 by Evans Products (Lot 1-1042; original Lot 714). Same body and equipment as the 800s: 50 ft 6 in IL, 9 ft 4 in IW, 10 ft 6 in IH; 4,980 cu ft; 10 ft × 10 ft six-panel Superior doors; AAR XL; Dreadnaught 4-3-1 ends; peaked flush-eave roof; short ladders; no running boards; low brake; Hydra-Cushion and DF belts/loader; 154,000 lb nominal capacity. One hundred cars, all leased via U.S. Railway Equipment Co./USLX, with some numbers excluded in specific finance schedules. Delivered blue with galvanised roof and black doors, DF/Hydra-Cushion/DF panel, typically a larger intertwined BM herald than the 800s; later repaints plain blue without the DF panel. ORER Note M applies; Note O (4/1971–7/1973) records 972–976 carrying 70 wooden pallets as part of the car. Attrition modest through the 1970s (about 94 by 10/1980). Combined with the 800s as 800–999 from 5/1983; split 1/1997 with 903–999 shown as 38 cars; last listed 4/1997. Frequent paper-service assignments in New England. Identical Evans pattern also catalogued for ATSF per Neubauer.RRPA #943 Jan 1976
Photos: RCP #903 Jun 1981, RRPA #934 Sep 1980, RRPA #943 Jan 1976, RCP #943 Jan 1976, RRPA #954 Aug 1990 |
| BM 1000–1174 | 40′ PS-1 (7′ door) | Sale/lease-back of 74000-series cars without roof hatches, first listed 1/1961; 175 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 6 in inside height. Last listed 4/1976. |
| BM 1900–1914 | 43′ Boxcar | First listed 7/1964; 15 cars. 43 ft 4 in inside length, 6 ft 10 in inside height. Last listed 10/1980. |
| BM 1915–1934 | 50′ Boxcar (insulated?) | First listed 7/1964; 20 cars. 49 ft 11 in inside length, 6 ft 10 in inside height. Last listed 10/1980. |
| BM 2000-2707 | 40′ PS-1 (7′ door) | Re-lease of 75000-series, first listed 4/1970; approximately 703 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1980. |
| BM 3000-3049 | 50′ Boxcar | Built Mar–Apr 1974 by Southern Iron & Equipment Co. (SIECO), Atlanta GA (Lot 1226-02, Work Order 1212A). 50 ft 6 in inside length, 9 ft 4 in inside width, 10 ft 7 in inside height; 10 ft × 9 ft 11 in side door opening. Outside length 55 ft 7 in; extreme width 10 ft 8 in; extreme height 15 ft. AAR mech. class XL (shown as XM in the 1/1975 ORER), Plate B clearance; nominal 70-ton cars, capacity 5,077 cu ft (reduced to 4,950 cu ft in 1979 ORER), 154,000 lb nominal. Construction details include 9-panel peaked roof with overhanging eaves and “X” ribs, inset Dreadnaught ends, short reinforced side sill with riveted corner posts, 14 side posts, wide rectangular steps, and 10 ft Superior sliding door (some notes suggest Youngstown). Delivered with blue sides and ends, galvanised roof, and black door; underframe tabs/fishbelly blue with the rest of the underframe black. Lettering originally “Boston & Maine” stacked in three lines on the right side; some cars may have carried the medium intertwined BM herald. Stencilled “UNITED STATES RAILWAY LEASING COMPANY” as required by lease.
Entered the ORER 04/1974 as 50 cars (BM 3000–3049), description “Box, Steel, DF Belts”; 10/1974 description amended to include “50K”. Attrition gradual (49 cars by 04/1977, 48–49 through 1980, 47 by 01/1989). Last listed 10/1990; not shown 01/1991. Built under a 15-year lease from U.S. Railway Equipment Co. (ICC Recordation 7093, 5-Jun-1973, covering the 78000, 3000, and 3100 series); subsequent security agreements and amendments filed 1974–1992, with final release 21-Dec-1992. Cars were intended for paper service, equipped with DF belts and nailable steel floors.
Model: Athearn? |
| BM 3100–3149 | 50′ Boxcar | First listed 4/1974; 50 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 7 in inside height. Last listed 10/1990. |
| BM 3200–3349 | 50′ Boxcar | Built Aug–Sep 1979 by PACCAR (PC&F), Renton, Washington (spec PC-655 rev B; builder’s drawing 2904-201, later referenced as 2504-201). 50 ft 6 in inside length, 9 ft 6 in inside width, 11 ft 1 in inside height; 10 ft × 10 ft 5 in side door opening. Outside length 56 ft 4 in; extreme width 10 ft 8 in; height to eaves 14 ft 5 in; extreme height 15 ft. AAR mech. class XM (later shown as XP in ORER), Plate C clearance, Freightmaster end-of-car cushioning; nominal 70-ton cars, capacity 5,241 cu ft (later 5,220 cu ft), 154,000 lb nominal (some later ORER entries show 220,000 lb). Construction details include flat roof, 14-rib sides, sliding 10 ft door, and pull rings bolted to the side sills just outboard of the bolsters. Delivered with blue sides/ends, unpainted galvanised roof, and black door; later repaints included Guilford white/orange and Pan Am blue schemes. Entered the ORER 01/1980 as 150 cars (BM 3200–3349); by 10/1980 the total shown as 199 when 3350–3399 were merged; split 07/1981 into sub-series 3200–3299, 3300–3349; remained listed through 01/2012 (B&M listing removed 04/2012). Lease/security filings begin 01-Aug-1979 (ICC/STB Recordation 10740) requiring the legend “Ownership subject to a security agreement filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission. |
| BM 3300-3349 | 50′ Boxcar | Subset converted from the 3200–3349 series, first listed 7/1981; 50 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 11 ft 1 in inside height. Still listed after 1/2012. |
| BM 3350-3399 | 50′ Boxcar | First listed 1/1980; 50 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 11 ft 1 in inside height. Still listed after 1/2012. |
| BM 3500–3539 | 50′ Boxcar | First listed 1/1993, likely from 3100-series; 40 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 7 in inside height. Still listed after 1/2012. |
| BM 4000–4009 (2nd) → 4000–4041 | 50′ Boxcar | Reassigned 10/1979 for packaged flour from the 77000 series; expanded to 4000–4041 by 7/1980; 42 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 4000–4499 | 40′ Boxcar | Renumbered 4/1961 from the 74000-series; 64 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 6 in inside height. Last listed 10/1963. |
| BM 4500–4505 → 4500–4507 | 50′ Boxcar | Reassigned 10/1979 for spent grain from the 77000 series; expanded to 4500–4507 by 1/1980; 8 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 4510–4515 → 4510–4518 | 50′ Boxcar | Reassigned 1/1980 for wood flour from the 77000 series; expanded to 4510–4518 by 10/1980; 9 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 4520 | 50′ Boxcar | Assigned 7/1980 for meat refuse from the 77000 series; 1 car. Inside height 10 ft 5 in; inside length presumed 50 ft 6 in (matches donor series). Last listed 7/1985. |
| BM 4530–4535 | 50′ Boxcar | Assigned 7/1980 for aluminium scrap from the 77000 series; 6 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1984. |
| BM 4550–4557 | 50′ Boxcar | Assigned 7/1980 for food products from the 77000 series; 8 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 50500–50562 | 50′ Boxcar | Ex-CRI&P, first listed 10/1980; 5 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 10/1980. |
| BM 67000–67039 | 40′ PS-1 (7′ door) | Modified 7/1957 from the 74000-series with four roof hatches; 40 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 6 in inside height. Last listed 1/1981. |
| BM 67040–67067 | 1937 AAR 40′ All-Steel | Modified 10/1964 from the 73000-series with four roof hatches; 28 cars. 40 ft 5 in inside length, 10 ft 0 in inside height. Last listed 1/1981. |
| BM 68999 | Boxcar | Renumber of BM 69999. Dimensions not separately stated (see 69700–69999 class for reference). |
| BM 69700–69999 | 40′ Boxcar | Rebuilds/lease-back 10/1956 of 71000–71953 and 72000–72999 cars; 300 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 8 ft 7 in inside height. Last listed 10/1966. |
| BM 70000-70049 | 50′ Boxcar | Built Oct 1966 by American Car & Foundry for D&RGW 63300–63499 (ACF Precision Design with pressed panels beside the doors); leased into B&M service as 70000–70049 in 1979 via Itel/MLL (ICC Recordations 10169, 10191). 50 ft 6 in inside length, 9 ft 4 in inside width, 10 ft 6 in inside height; offset double sliding Youngstown doors with 15 ft × 9 ft 10 in opening. Outside length 58 ft 1 in; extreme width 10 ft 7 in; height to eaves 14 ft 3 in; extreme height 14 ft 11 in. AAR mechanical class XM in early listings, later shown as XP for auto parts in the ORER. Plate B clearance. Keystone 20 in travel cushion underframe with Cardwell-Westinghouse draft gear; ABD brakes; ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks with 33 in wheels; Stucki single-roller side bearings; nailable steel floor (ECR-3). Construction features include diagonal-panel roof by Standard Railway Equipment Co., two-piece SRE ends (dreadnaught 4-3-1 “banana” profile), short ladders, and ACF PD side construction. Marked capacity 145,000 lb; light weight about 64,200 lb; 4,941–4,947 cu ft. Delivered to B&M in blue with grey or galvanised roof and black doors, “Boston&Maine” as a single word on the right side; COTS and U-1 dot applied; required stencil noting title subject to ICC filings. Entered the ORER 10/1979 as 50 cars “Box, Steel, Cushion Underframe, Nailable Steel Floor, 50K,” re-described 01/1983 as “20 in travel Shock Control cushion underframe, offset double doors (auto parts).” Minor attrition to 48 cars by 10/1984 and 47 by 01/1989; last shown 10/1990 and not listed 01/1991. |
| BM 70988–70999 | 40′ Boxcar | Rebuilds/lease-back 7/1956 of 71954–71974 and 71995–71999 cars; 12 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 8 ft 7 in inside height. Last listed 7/1966. |
| BM 76000–76538 | 40′ PS-1 (8′ door) | First listed 4/1957; 539 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 76016–76531 (with gaps) | 40′ PS-1 (conversion) | Converted 7/1971 within the 76000-series; 15 cars. 40 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989. |
| BM 77000–77999 | 50′ PS-1 (9′ door) | First listed 7/1956; 1,000 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 10 ft 5 in inside height. Last listed 7/1989.
Photos: |
| BM 78000–78599 | 50′ Boxcar | BM 78000–78599 — Built Oct 1973–Apr 1974 by Southern Iron & Equipment Co. (Evans/SIECO), Atlanta, GA; 600 cars, AAR class XM, leased (15-year) from U.S. Railway Equipment Co. Inside dims 50 ft 6 in L × 9 ft 6 in W × 10 ft 7 in H; 10 ft × 9 ft 11 in side door. Outside length 55 ft 7 in; extreme width 10 ft 8 in; height to eaves 14 ft 0–14 ft 4 in; extreme height 15 ft. Capacity ~5,100 → 5,075 cu ft (ORER), 154,000 lb (50K floor rating). Construction/features: 14-rib sides, 9-panel peaked roof with X ribs and overhanging eaves, inset Dreadnaught ends (4-3-1 “banana”), low ladders/brake, no running boards, rigid underframe (no cushioning), nailable steel floor; doors typically 6-panel Superior (some notes cite Youngstown). Plate B. Delivered blue body/ends, black door and underframe, galvanized roof; medium intertwined BM herald; ACI label near door.
Model: BM 78066 (Athearn 22950); BM 78162 (Athearn 10542); BM 78169 (Athearn 10541); BM 78173 (Athearn 12105); BM 78176 (Athearn 12106); BM 78584 (Athearn 22952) |
| BM 79000-79099 | 50′ Boxcar | First listed 7/1979; 100 cars. 50 ft 6 in inside length, 11 ft 1 in inside height. Still listed after 1/2012. |
| BM 80000-80024 | 50′ Boxcar | Built Oct 1979 by FMC, Portland, Oregon (builder’s spec R-9120-78; ICC Recordation 10956). 50 ft 6 in inside length, 9 ft 6 in inside width, 10 ft 11 in inside height; 10 ft × 10 ft 5 in side door opening. Outside length 59 ft 1 in; extreme width 10 ft 7 in; height to eaves 14 ft 9 in; extreme height 15 ft 4 in. AAR mech. class XP (newsprint service; “not for general use”), Plate C; Keystone/“Shock Control” 20-in travel cushion underframe (Keystone sliding centersill noted); nominal 100-ton cars, 5,272 cu ft as-delivered (later ORER shows 5,235 cu ft); 188,000 lb nominal (later 185,000 lb; GRL 263,000 shown by 07/2000 on stragglers). Construction features include peaked roof, 12-rib sides, Youngstown 10 ft sliding door, blue-painted fishbelly/side sill with the rest of the underframe black, and jacking pads under the sill. Delivered in blue sides/ends, galvanised (silver) roof, black door; “Boston & Maine” stacked in three lines at the right. Entered the ORER 01/1980 as 25 cars (BM 80000–80024) “Box, Steel, Cushion Underframe, Designed for special loading (Newsprint Service), 50K, Plate C”; description restated 01/1983 with “20″ Travel Shock Control.” Count steady through the 1980s (minor attrition to 21 by 07/1995); sporadic survivors listed into 2000 (one to two cars) before disappearing 10/2000. Security filings reaffirm XP-A402 classification (17114, 12/10/1990). |
| BM 300800-300999 | 50′ Boxcar | Ex-CRI&P, first listed 7/1980; 200 cars. Inside height 11 ft 1 in (some sources suggest 14 ft 5 in); inside length 50 ft 6 in. Last listed 7/2010. |
