Boxcar, 50 Foot, PC&F Insulated

History: The PC&F 70-ton 50-ft Exterior Post Insulated Boxcars, were built in Renton Washington, and were prevalent from the late 1960's and through 1980's. They continued on to second hand, third hand and even fourth hand owners into today's railroading.

Their exterior post design became the way boxcars are fabricated largely replacing the double sheathed (smooth side) car body construction. These insulated cars measured 50-ft. 6-in. (or 7-inches in some cases) in interior length and had a cargo capacity of roughly 4400 to 5033 cu. ft. They were equipped to hold shifting loads with built in restraining devices such as from Car Pac or DF Evans. Further, their 20-inch cushioning devices on the cars absorbed the longitudinal forces resulting from slack action that can damage the cargo. They carried food products such as can goods, drinks, packaged food products, dog food, and even chocolate - which needed protection from the changes in temperature, but required no refrigeration.

Railroad/Company: In 1905, William Pigott, Sr. founded Seattle Car Mfg. Co. to produce railway and logging equipment at its plant in West Seattle. The company later merged with Twohy Brothers of Portland to become Pacific Car and Foundry Company, a name it retained for the next 55 years. In 1924, William Pigott sold control of the company to American Car and Foundry Company.

Believing "Pacific Car and Foundry Company" no longer accurately reflected the company's products and activities, directors and shareholders voted to adopt PACCAR Inc as its new name in 1972. In 1973, two major divisions of PACCAR were founded. PACCAR International Inc., with headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, was formed to consolidate the sales and service of company products abroad, and PACCAR Parts Division was established in Renton to supply aftermarket parts sales.