Baggage-Mail-Express #42 - Page 2

HISTORY

Baggage-mail-express car #42 was out-shopped September 1879 by the South Park’s Denver shops. As with all the cars they produced, it was likely assembled there from parts created by one of the eastern car builders. It was quite unlike baggage cars #40 and #41, which they had just completed. Those cars were only 34'-0" long, but had an odd complement of three doors and four windows on each side. It would be interesting to know why the Denver shops deviated from the prior pattern, to which they would return the next year when they out-shopped baggage car #45. It would also be interesting to know whether #42, #43 and #44 were designated “baggage-mail-express” rather than “baggage” when built, or not until 1885 when the U.P. designated the short cars “baggage” and the longer cars “baggage-mail-express.” (The DSP&P didn't get its first RPO contract until 1882.)

Baggage-mail-express car #42 was renumbered #1300 by the Union Pacific in 1885 and kept that number under the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison. The Colorado & Southern apparently considered these cars different from ordinary baggage cars, at least initially, for it assigned them numbers above those of its four ordinary baggage cars. And DL&G #1300 became C&S baggage-mail #113.

At some point prior to 1906, the C&S promoted/demoted baggage-mail #113 to plain baggage car, and renumbered it to #105. This was probably shortly after baggage car #103 was destroyed (1902). This action kept the number of baggage cars at four, and in the 1906 renumbering, then C&S baggage car #104 became baggage car #4. The following table helps to explain this shifting of numbers:

During the years, this car was undoubtedly rebuilt (or at least resheathed) several times. It was probably during the 1915 rebuilding that the lower portion of the car was covered with sheet iron, as is evident from both photos.

C&S baggage car #4 was retired January 1939 and dismantled the following August. The body was sold to F.W. Kimmel of Lyon Colorado.

FOR THE TECHNICALLY MINDED -- AND WIDE-AWAKE

The history presented above represents the best contemporary research, but it does not agree with all of the published Colorado & Southern rosters.

All published C&S rosters agree that there was a baggage car numbered #105 that was renumbered #4 in 1906 (or 1911). They also agree on the disposition of this car. The rosters in Ferrell/C&S, Kindig, Poole and Poor, go no further back, as their interest is limited to the C&S. The roster in Wagner (earliest of the four) attempts to connect the C&S numbers with their predecessors, but with mixed success. (Perhaps the others took a cue from his lack of success and limited their objectives accordingly.)

Wagner says baggage #105 was converted by the C&S from Union Pacific Denver & Gulf baggage car #1035, which had been built by the Colorado Central shops in 1873 and whose roster spot was “vacated” in 1891. He maintains baggage-mail #113 was converted to baggage-coach #129 in 1902, and renumbered to #28 in 1906.

Ken Martin -- who wrote the passenger car narrative for Poole -- says his best guess, based on length and car availability, is that baggage #105 was converted by the C&S from baggage-mail-express #113 (see table above), and that baggage-coach #129 was a conversion from C&S coach #154 (see Coach #7 page).

The following table attempts to diagram the above discussion:

Considering Wagner’s research is now more than 30 years old, and Ken Martin’s well-reasoned expertise, we have chosen to go with Ken.

Continued