CONX 50014 – Santa Fe 7020 – Boxcar
The ORM has three “auto boxcars”: Class FE-22s CONX 50001 and CONX 50014, and Class FE-23 CONEX 50020. They were originally built in 1928 by the General American Transportation Corporation, Class FE-S, double-door boxcars with wood bodies, and steel underframes and end cars. Under the Santa Fe’s classification FE stood for Furniture car.
CONX 50001 and 50014 were rebuilt in 1940 at Topeka, KS, as FE-22s with road numbers ATSF 7176 and ATSF 7020. The original wooden bodies were replaced with new steel bodies and wooden interior lining. Two hundred FE-22 boxcars were constructed with numbers 7000 – 7199. These auto boxcars were equipped with double doors on one of the ends which opened to provide full width access to the inside of the car for easy loading of vehicles. Auto boxcars were operated by the AT&SF (Santa Fe) RR to transport autos, trucks, farm equipment, and heavy machinery. They were equipped with tie-down chains in floor-mounted storage tubes and other interior components for securing their vehicle loads. Auto boxcars continued in service on the Santa Fe until the 1960’s when they began to sell or scrap the aging cars. The last car of this class was finally retired in 1973.
The Oklahoma Railway Museum’s auto boxcars were used by the Santa Fe to transport Crossly automobiles. Eventually, the cars were sold to the Continental Oil Company (CONOCO) which used the end-loading capabilities for grease drums, etc. The cars were donated to the ORM by the Continental Oil Company.