| CB&Q XM-32B 17227 at Cicero, Illinois on an unknown day in November 1979, photo by Chuck Zeiler. Burlington's Havelock, Nebraska shops built 1,900 class XM32B boxcars beginning in 1950, with 1,400 going to the CB&Q in the 17000-18399 number series, 250 went to the C&S in the 1000-1249 series, and 250 went to the FW&D in the 8501-8750 series. All 1,900 were fitted with a six-foot improved Youngstown corrugated door. When outshopped all except the C&S cars were painted in the then-standard mineral red with the slogans "Everywhere West" on one side (brake wheel to the left) and "Way Of The Zephyrs" on the other side (brake wheel to the right). The C&S cars were painted the same without slogans applied. The car pictured likely was shopped sometime after mid-1968 but before the March 2, 1970 merger. The idea was to paint in the word NORTHERN once the merger was approved. However, by the merger date, the BN letter font changed slightly and none of the repainted CB&Q cars had NORTHERN applied. |