Re: C&TS box car coaches

Kevin...
It's good to hear a complimentary remark about the "boxcar coaches". We built the first of them in 1971, and had some twenty in service within a couple years. John Coker ("El Coke"), who posts here often, supervised and did much of the work of the thorough repainting of the cars, including the sanding down to bare wood.
I'm not sure they are literally "out of service", although I've been told they are not well maintained. I thought they were still available for overloads.
Incidentally, it is almost certain that I was conductor of the train you rode. Most of my work was in the office, but I got to work on the train on those busy days when we ran short of people.
I certainly agree that those cars were fun to ride. In my opinion, much more so than the present cramped and closed-in coaches.
Best regards, Bob Keller