Re: D&RGW boxcar # 3223

risrwy Wrote:
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> I am very curious as to what is stenciled on the
> tack board of the car?


"Assigned for Concentrate Service Between Silverton and Alamosa"

Another standard stencil says, "For Ore Loading Between Ouray and Montrose" or something to that effect.

While I'm sure intended to stay between those locations initially, I think in practice they were more or less lumped into a general ore service on the narrow gauge. Evidence of this practice shows in several photos, but especially in this Library of Congress picture showing a Silverton ore stencil on a boxcar being loading in Ouray with Camp Bird ore.

[picryl.com]

Pictures and videos also show some cars with very worn out tack boards that simply say, ore loading, or concentrate, or even just ore. The car in the link also appears to have another Silverton ore loading stencil but also displays an Inflammable placard. I wouldn't be surprised if concentrate cars also carried other materials that wouldn't interfere with the cars intended service and also allow it to carry revenue in each direction.

Just some observations,
-Jon