I'll Raise You Two Boxcars


McLeod

McLeod

Forest Lurker
Hello.
Here is a pre-1965 photograph of a young mother and child waiting for the train at the CN Whitecourt 3rd class depot. The photograph is very interesting in general, however, I'm mostly interested in the two background boxcars sitting on the raised platform in a field grass.
Whitecourt Station_1949.jpg


I wonder, for what purpose? Why are two boxcars sitting on a raised platform in a grassy field?
The thought crossed my mind that the raise might facilitate unloading cargo onto trucks, but, the cars look to be raised too high for that.
Could someone here who is more familiar with railroad operations offer an answer as to why those boxcars are raised?!

This photographed was previously posted in the coffee shop with the same question, but, no patrons were able to give me an answer. So, I thought I'd try posting on a dedicated thread. I'm thinking about modelling something like this platform in my new layout's yard, but, I need a reason why it would be there.

Thankyou!
 
Not an expert, but it looks like the boxcars are leaning to the right?

If so, this may have been where they washed or cleaned the box cars.

In the latest issue of the Northern Pacific magazine, a layout was featured which modeled a stretch of track that was angled the same way.

The prototype Pic was included, showed a long row of box cars tilted towards a ditch which would allow flow away.

Possibly. Because the terrain was so flat, they had to build the framework to facilitate the cleaning.

Dave LASM
 
I would think at one time, box cars were used to carry bulk stuff like grain. Unloading the cars into trucks would require the box car be at a higher level for a chute to be used down into a truck.
 
Hmmm, both Dave and Ken's answer seem feasible.
Considering the area is oil/gas fields and forestry, I question whether they would put up with the cost of building a high ramp just to sweep out a couple of boxcars. There would have been little dirt farming in the area, just as there are few grain farms today. However, there was livestock farming, so feed would have been required.
I like Ken's idea of a higher boxcar chuting product into a waiting truck. If so, I'm betting it would have been livestock feed products.

Thank you for the kind answers.
 
I asked the same question on the CN Historical Society site, and response is below.

Quote:

"Coal, including for locomotives was also hauled in boxcars, so it's entirely possible that is a locomotive coaling facility. Low cost, and didn't have to be tall for the smaller locomotives in use on the northern branch lines."
 
Thankyou very much for the input, folks.
I feel quite certain now, knowing the photographs exact location in downtown Whitecourt, that this would have been a method to unload coal. As a matter-of-fact, I remember seeing another photograph of two workers with shovels inside a boxcar unloading product down a chute into a waiting truck box. That photo was a close-up, though, of the workers and car interior, and didn't show what the boxcar was sitting on.

Thanks again, for leading me in the right direction.
 
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