Thanks for posting this!

SP5103 Wrote:
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> There was a 40 year age limit on freight cars in
> interchange, which changed to 50 years a few years
> ago if certain conditions were met.
>
> I know many of the newer SP chip cars went to
> Georgia Pacific with GPSX reporting marks, plus
> some for other railroads. Some of these were still
> in wood chip service between G-P mill in Toledo,
> OR and Collins Pine in Lakeview, OR - at least a
> couple years ago. The paper plant at Wallula still
> gets some chip cars off the BNSF (end dump only?),
> never noticed any via UP.
>
> I've also worked on a shortline which received
> cotton seed for feed in chip cars. Kind of scary
> how they unloaded them. They put a temporary dock
> at the end of the car, propped the end door of the
> car up and ran a skid steer in and out.
>
> Realize that cars built before 1971 are now under
> the 50 year rule, which is not only an AAR
> interchange rule but a FRA safety regulation. To
> continue using a 50+ year old car in revenue
> service you have to apply for a FRA waiver. For
> continued maintenance of way use on the owning
> railroad, no restriction - but what would a chip
> car be used for?