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Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad
DSP&P Flat Cars: History, Photos, Plans

The first order for rolling stock on the DSP&P went out in 1874 for 30 flat cars, 5 box cars, 5 coal cars, a coach, a combine, and 6 excursion cars. This initial batch of cars plus 2 small locomotives were sufficient for construction and revenue service for the next four years. Further construction brought the flat car count up to around 100, and these were also probably used as coal cars or ballast cars when needed. Subsequent orders over the next 10 years brought the total fleet of freight cars up to about 1300.

A fair number of early flat cars were converted to coal cars by mounting side boards to hold the load. Some were designated as lime cars, which carried limestone rock for fill, ballast, or other uses. Limestone weighs more than double the equivalent volume of coal, so the side boards were not as high as on the coal cars.
 

HISTORY
The first 30 26-foot flatcars delivered to the DSP&P by Hallack Brothers in 1874 were used in construction of the road. Another 45 cars followed that year from Hallack plus 25 more from Barney and Smith. In 1884. Only 33 of them made it past 1885 to be renumbered 3000 to 3032. None of these appear to have survived into the C&S era.

 

      
                             Some of the author's DSP&P flat cars

In 1879, 200 26-foot cars were delivered from Litchfield. Some were used as limestone cars with side boards added. Others became coal cars with higher side boards. These became DSP&P flat cars #3033 to 3221 in 1885 and those with high side boards became DSP&P coal cars #8000 to 8038. There is no record of which cars went into which group. Only 55 flat cars were absorbed by the C&S as #1000 to 1054.

Peninsular Car Company delivered 200 27-foot flatcars in 1885, numbered DSP&P 1100 to 1299. These numbers overlap the 1200 to 1208 cattle cars; Ron Rudnick suggests they were probably re-numbered 1600 -1608 . The 1100 series flats were renumbered into the 3400 series after 1885.


PHOTO GALLERY

DSP&P Tiffany reefer with two flat cars and red waycar.


DSP&P flat cars c. 1879 -- 1880


Hartford Products model of DSP&P flatcar #233 

PLANS by John Maxwell

DSP&P 26 Foot Flat Cars 100 to 299 and  1100 to 1299
 

PLANS by Ron Rudnick

DSP&P 26 Foot Flat Car 71

DSP&P 26 Foot Flat Car 85 With Stock Car Body

DSP&P 26 Foot Coal Car 186

DSP&P 26 Foot Flat Car 3172 (after 1885)

DSP&P 26 Foot Flat Car 3015, 3013 and 3023 (after 1885)