Livestock Operations on Model Railroadswith an emphasis on the ATSFDecember 22, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Railroad Specific Importance A modeler wishing to incorporate livestock operations into their layout had best research their era and location as it was far from uniform. The Santa Fe in 1948 was the largest rail carrier of livestock in the US. They moved over 100,000 carloads of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, horses, and mules that year. Chicago was home to the nations largest stockyard with other substantial ones in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Denver, Wichita, St. Joseph, and Oklahoma City - all Santa Fe cities. The second largest stockyard in the country was in East St. Louis, IL, which was interchanged from Kansas City via Missouri Pacific. Different railroads show considerable variation in the make-up of their car fleets. The following chart shows the percentage make-up of the car fleets of some major roads in 1950. This comparison does not consider private owner cars.
In 1950, 66 railroads owned a total of 54,555 stock cars. The largest was the Santa Fe with 13% of the national fleet. Only 3 roads east of the fleet Mississippi: PRR, NYC, and B&O, had 1000 stock cars or more. 18 railroads had 80% of the stock cars. Leading
Stock car owners ATSF - 7461 In 1955, stock car movements amounted to only 1.2% of the total national freight movements. But nearly 25% of all stock movements nationally were on the Santa Fe. Stock movements were normally from the country to the city, from all direction to the northeast. Stock movements on the Santa Fe were primarily in the easterly direction. The major exception were the packing plants around Los Angeles. There was a large area of packing plants in Vernon, Calif. just south of L.A.and in the Cudahy area of LA, near Hobart yard. In the analysis of stock movements through San Bernardino in January, 1943, 37% came from Texas. Chicago was the meat packing capital of the US. The railroad stockyards were established there in 1866. By 1900, the most common pattern was for stock to be raised on rangeland for up to 2 years. When the range started to dry up seasonally, they would be shipped by rail to stockyards at various locations to be fattened for 3-6 months. The fattened stock was then shipped by rail to public markets. Winter grazing was a source of reverse moves for stock. Some ranchers from the colder climates would ship their livestock south for the winter. The D&RGW and RGS narrow gauges both did heavy traffic in moving livestock from summer to winter pasture and back. Many loads of livestock were riders, i.e. the stock had not been sold when they were loaded. In such a case, the shipper might choose a roundabout route in hopes of securing a buyer while in transit. They might therefore start their journey going to one destination, only to be pulled and shipped elsewhere in route. Clarification: Is it livestock or live stock, stockyards or stock yards, stockcars or stock cars?
The Official Railway Equipment Register refers to the class of car that carries "stock on the hoof" as "Stock Cars." So, "livestock" or "live stock," "stockyard" or "stock yard," you take your pick, and feel free to use both in the same document - the industry did. The ORER seems to have settled the mode of transport at in "stock cars."
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Livestock Cars
