Re: D&RGW combine

wt fan Wrote:
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> It should represent one combine of
> 212-215.

D&RG(W) 212-217:
Orig coaches 17-19(blt 1878) & 20-23(1879) Billmeyer & Small
to combines
1886: #212(nee 17),#213(nee 18), #214 (nee 19), #216(nee 21)& #217(nee 22)
1887: #215(nee 20)

There is some question as to the length of these cars
Coaches 17-19 (1878) were 34'11" when built
Coaches 20-23 (1879) were 38'4" when built (#23 became SRR "Yankee Girl") however they were reported as 34'11" several times in the 80's ???

Later folios show 212-214 as 34'10" & 215, RGS 200-201 (ex 216-217) as 38'4" or 38'3" (there were drawings of measurements taken of the remains of Yankee Girl in the early 1970's['72 ?] but my copy of the issue of SGN where, IIRC, they were reported is packed away)

So you might want to measure the length to decide on which car you are building!

As to the window question, 212-214 certainly had a window by the stove in the 90's, 213 was sold to SG&N (#1) and still had a window there at that time. #214 had lost it by the late 20's. Can't find a picture of that side of 212, before or after she went to Mexico.

215-217 also show a window by the stove on earlier folio drawings. It seems to have been gone on 215 before she was renumbered to 212 in '42.

In general I've heard that the window by the stove(s)was a PITA, prone to breakage and not very easy to see out of so they were blanked on most cars before WWI. In fact on some coaches that were almost as built right up until they went to Mexico (296, 316) the only apparent change is the blanking of these windows & the similarly problematic ones on the end platforms.

hope all that is some help.

hank