Re: Sumpter Valley Coaches

It might be the end frames that my source had actually spoken of. But, I would expect the underframe to be at least a composite (wood and steel), if not all steel, considering the 1918 construction date. Anyone have information about the underframe?

In 1911 (when all steel cars were already being built) the Santa Fe was buying passenger cars with substantial steel underframes and body framing. This they then covered with a wood shell. The Santa Fe thought they could get better insulation from the Summer heat in the Southwest using wood.

The steel end framing might have been required by the postal service. During the twenties all the wooden RPO cars had their ends reinformced; examples are the D&RGW and SP narrow gauge cars.

Brian Norden