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Columbus & Greenville Railway Freight Rolling Stock |
In regard to rolling stock for revenue freight service, for much of its life the Columbus & Greenville seemed to swing from pillar to post: occasionally alleviating long spells of online car shortages and aging equipment with orders for new cars, as funds allowed. As early as 1922, the C&G purchased its first wooden boxcars: fifteen pieces from an Atlanta builder. A more substantial supply came seven years later, when 300 wooden 40-foot cars were secured from American Car & Foundry. A larger Pullman-Standard order would come in the late 1950s: more 40' boxcars, but this time of all-steel construction. Never a shortline to discard a piece of rolling stock it could otherwise put to use in maintenance service, over the decades a fascinating assortment of equipment has clustered around the Columbus roundhouse. By the late 1970s, the reorganized CAGY had expanded its post-ICG rolling stock fleet with many new pulpwood racks, covered hoppers, and gondolas — several examples of which are shown below. Moreover, like many other southeastern shortlines of the era who participated in freight car leasing plans, by the early 1980s the CAGY had secured well over 1000 freight cars for leasing in national interchange service. From tired old outside-brace wooden boxcars to modern all-steel 50' haulers, the Delta Route's rolling stock roster has been as varied and colorful as its long history.
Covington, La / Jul 1979 / JCH
1923 Official Railway Equipment Register / collection
40' Wooden Boxcars
from The Delta Route: A History of the C&G Railway
— Louis Saillard / collection
Columbus & Greenville #2900
Columbus, Ms / 1942 / collection
Columbus & Greenville #3011
Columbus, Ms / Jun 1970 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3038
Columbus, Ms / Mar 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3080
Columbus, Ms / Jun 1970 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3140
Columbus, Ms / Mar 1973 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3143
While living in Pensacola, Florida in 1959, John came across C&G 40' wooden box #3143 parked on a team track connected to the St Louis-San Francisco ("Frisco") mainline. Shipped with a load of bricks for a local customer, the aging car had already been unloaded by the time he found it. Built in 1929 by American Car & Foundry, #3143 had already seen 30 years of interchange service when these detailed photographs were taken in the Florida panhandle.
Columbus & Greenville #3143
Pensacola, Fl / 1959 / JCH
all photos above: Pensacola, Fl / 1959 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / Oct 1982 / Gerhard Anderson
from Mainline Modeler magazine - Nov 1984 / collection
Columbus & Greenville #3211
O Scale boxcar / JCH model
40' Steel Boxcars
Columbus & Greenville #3403
collection
1960s brochure clipping / collection
Columbus & Greenville #3410
Columbus, Ms / May 1975 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3417
Columbus, Ms / May 1975 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3417
Huntsville, Al / Jun 1972 / JCH
Huntsville, Al / Jun 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3450
Hammond, La / Jul 1968 / Louis Saillard
Columbus & Greenville's first substantial fleet of boxcars was made of 300 40-ton capacity wooden (steel underframe) cars built by American Car & Foundry in 1929. By the 1950's the fleet was showing its age as truck sideframes and steel center sills began breaking with increasing frequency. Half the fleet, 150 cars, were sold for scrap in 1960 and 1961. To provide modern cars for C&G customers, the railroad purchased 50 50-ton capacity steel cars from Pullman Standard in late 1957. The new cars were numbered 3401 to 3450. Shown above, the final car of the fleet, No. 3450 is seen on the Illinois Central mainline at Hammond, La., on July 29, 1968. The cars were painted dark green and carried the slogan "Thru the Heart of Dixie."
Louis Saillard
Columbus, Ms / Jul 1971 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3702
Columbus, Ms / Dec 1971 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / Mar 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3705
Columbus, Ms / Mar 1972 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / Mar 1973 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / Mar 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #3417
O Scale boxcar / JCH model
Columbus & Greenville #170402
Quincy, Fl / May 1978 / Gerhard Anderson
Columbus & Greenville #170443
Ono, Ca / Jul 1981 / Ron Hawkins 
50' Steel Boxcars
Jackson, Ms / 1980s / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #62
Columbus, Ms / 1985 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #261
Columbus, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #264
Johnson City, Tn / Nov 2011 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #263
Johnson City, Tn / Nov 2011 / RWH
Johnson City, Tn / Nov 2011 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #272
Johnson City, Tn / Nov 2011 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #287
Columbus, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #288
Columbus, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #1508
Jackson, Ms / Apr 1987 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #1512
Jackson, Ms / Apr 1987 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #1519
Jackson, Ms / Apr 1987 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #5553
Leland, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #7091
Kingsport, Tn / Nov 2022 / RWH
Kingsport, Tn / Nov 2022 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #14047
Columbus, Ms / Nov 1999 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #15050
Columbus, Ms / Sep 1986 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #18002
Columbus, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #20010
Oceanside, Ca / Feb 1977 / Steven Vincent
Columbus & Greenville #20082
Leland, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #21029
Fort Worth, Tx / Sep 1995 / Roberto Alaniz
Columbus & Greenville #21080
Macon, Ga / Jun 2000 / G Gerard
Blue Box 21071
Columbus & Greenville #21071
Covington, La / Jul 1979 / JCH
Through the late 1970s, the Illinois Central Gulf was still providing twice-a-week local freight service to my hometown of Covington, Louisiana. Covington was for years the end of the line for the Bogalusa-Slidell-Covington branchline — operated by a number of previous roads, including the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio and the Crown-Zellerbach Paper Corporation. Most weekday mornings dad would drop me off at school before heading to work, but twice a week it was our morning ritual to leave the house a little earlier in order to see what equipment the ICG crew had left tied up overnight in town before returning to Bogalusa the next day. Even in those days, when business had grown light, it was routine to find a well-worn Paducah rebuild GP10 (left idling overnight in the winter) and a handful of cars in tow to be handled en route eastbound. I'll never forget the morning we drove down Gibson Street (on which the ICG did several blocks of street running) and found a shiny dark blue Columbus & Greenville 50' boxcar tied up at Marsolan Feed & Seed. It had come in the night before. The C&G had long held an honored place among father's shortline interests, and by that point I was becoming a convert as well. No. 21071 was a little piece of CAGY heaven, right there at the tail end of our little line.
Covington, La / Jul 1979 / JCH
JCH
Covington, La / Jul 1979 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #21128
Jackson, Ms / Apr 1987 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #21160
Pittsfield, Ma / Feb 1987 / Carl Weber
Columbus & Greenville #22242
Tampa, Fl / Gerhard Anderson
Columbus & Greenville #49555
Leland, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #70044
Leland, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus, Ms / Oct 1980 / Michael Palmieri
Columbus & Greenville #21056
O Scale 50' boxcar / JCH model
Wood Racks
from Railroad Magazine
- Aug 1944 / collection
Columbus & Greenville #12022
Opp, Al / Aug 1990 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #12040
Eupora, Ms / Aug 1006 / R Spencer
Columbus & Greenville #12090
West Point, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Gondolas
Columbus & Greenville #9111
drop-bottom / Columbus, Ms / Mar 1973 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #9115
drop-bottom / Columbus, Ms / unknown / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #9239
Columbus, Ms / Dec 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #13037
Bay Springs, Ms / Jul 1989 / JCH
Bay Springs, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #9211
O Scale gondola / JCH model
Covered Hoppers
Columbus & Greenville #389
Columbus, Ms / Aug 2004 / Ken Roble
Columbus & Greenville #70302
Wellsboro, In / Oct 2009 / Pat Huemmer
Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #70308
Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #70312
covered hopper / Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #70313
Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #70324
covered hopper / Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #70341
covered hopper / Greenville, Ms / Jun 2020 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #76570
Jackson, Ms / Apr 1987 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #85033
Greenville, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Maintenance Equipment
Columbus & Greenville #T-107
wheel car / Columbus, Ms / 1940 / collection
from Railroad Magazine
- Aug 1944 / collection
Columbus & Greenville #T-108
supply car / Columbus, Ms / Dec 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #600
steam pile driver / Columbus, Ms / May 1975 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / May 1975 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / May 1975 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #T-655
diesel tank / Columbus, Ms / Jul 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #T-657
tank on flat / Columbus, Ms / Jun 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #T-658
diesel tank / Columbus, Ms / May 1960 / JCH
Columbus, Ms / 1985 / collection
Columbus & Greenville #T-654
water car / Moorhead, Ms / Jul 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #1000
MoW flat / Columbus, Ms / Sep 1969 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #1022
MoW flat with crane / Columbus, Ms / Mar 1972 / JCH
Columbus & Greenville #FS002
water car / Greenville, Ms / Jul 1989 / RWH
Columbus & Greenville #5143
open hopper / Greenville, Ms / Oct 1982 / Gerhard Anderson
Columbus, Ms / Oct 1987 / Gerhard Anderson
Scrapbook
all pages from Columbus & Greenville scrapbook / JCH
Links / Sources
- Louis R. Saillard, Delta Route: A History of the C&G Railway (1981)
- Railroad Picture Archives Columbus & Greenville freight car roster
