50' PC&F B-70 Box Car

Prototype Information

In the early 1970s, Southern Pacific and its Cotton Belt subsidiary turned to Pacific Car & Foundry to meet the demand for higher-capacity cars to replace aging 40-foot boxcars. Between 1972 and 1975, PC&F delivered thousands of 50’-7” double-door boxcars, designated B-70-69, -71, and -75 series. Standard versions offered 5,258 cubic feet of capacity, while cars equipped for DF (Damage Free) loading held 5,119 cubic feet. Every car came with Hydra-Cushion underframes, and SP specified either Youngstown or Superior doors.

These cars became a common sight across the SP and SSW systems through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, hauling everything from lumber to general merchandise. Many rolled into the 1990s wearing Golden West Service paint, later re-stenciled back to SP, SSW, or new leasing marks. By the 2020s, the series had thinned rapidly, age and hard service finally catching up to them, though a few survivors still carry original lettering or faded Golden West schemes.