Re: CONX vs UTLX

Here is my version of tank car history, others have different versions.

At the time of the letter Jerry posted, there were 40 narrow frame UTLX cars in service fom moving Crude oil from Farmington to Montrose via the RGS. This began in 1923 or eaarly 1924.

There had been about 20 misc. older CONX (COLX 2-20) cars around since about 1910. this number slowly decreased to about 10 cars by 1930

There were 20 wide frame with raised running boards (CONX 21-40) built early in 1925, distributing Gasoline from the refinery at Farmington distributing over the D&RG narrow Gaue system. About 1932 10 of the wide frame (with low runnning boards) show up on the narrow gauge out of Farmington. These part of an set of 20 cars that were built in late 1925 as convertable cars (Stdgauge to narrowgauge), where they were from 1925 to 1930 is a mystery. These were numbered 1-4, to fill in some vacated numbers, and 41-47

I addition, starting in 1924, The Texas Company had 10 cars in gasoline service from mostly Salida to points on the narrow gauge system.

The first 25 UTLX Van Dyke tanks show op on the Rio Grande system in 1937 and were used for Road oil, and then were some were leased to Gramps the following year. There had been UTLX Van Dyke cars used earlier on the WP&Y.