It was a long time ago and most of what I "remember" is derived from my photos, some of which are
HERE. The pix clearly show an occasional curved roof car with knuckle couplers, which presumably are ex-OR&L. On my first visit the ex-OR&L 36 was still in service, but was on the deadline on subsequent visits.
Subsequent to the above I found a copy of the 1961 Gerald Best article in the R&LHS Bulletin about the FES. He writes that the IRCA refused to interchange FES's older (link and pin) cars, so the OR&L cars were obtained to allow the FES to handle shipments via the IRCA to and from the Carribbean port of Barrios. The IRCA was a modern well maintained railway, so they probably would have insisted on good cars, so that might have affected the selection of OR&L cars.. But that is only a guess on my part.
JBWX
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2023 12:57AM by John West.