authorized slogan used on the cars until 1963, when Seaboard
switched to a large Gothic billboard lettering scheme. Several B-8
and B-9 cars were repainted in the new scheme, which included
the large Gothic lettering and the 56” Seaboard Railroad mono-
gram on an all-freight car brown body.
These cars did not wear any other of the famous Seaboard
slogans, such as “Route of the Robert E. Lee,” “Route of the
Silver Meteor,” “Route of the Silver Star,” or “Route of the Silver
Comet.” Only “The Route of Courteous Service” was authorized.
In 1965, 100 former B-8 and B-9 cars were modified for bulk
dry-rock phosphate service. The cars were removed from the
B-8 19500-19699 series and modified at SAL’s Portsmouth VA
car shops.
Portsmouth added two round 30-inch hatches (on diagonally
opposite ends of the car), lower side sill bracing, and improved
door locks and fixtures, and repainted the cars gray with black let-
tering and a black and red monogram. The cars were reclassified
AAR type LC and were placed in domestic phosphate service.
The cars were assigned numbers 13000-13099 from the
vacated B-4 car class. These cars should not be confused with
Seaboard’s silver “beer cars,” which were 47 PS-1 cars from
the SAL B-10 class that were painted silver and modified with
improved insulation.
6. This rare photo shows a Seaboard B-8 car in the
billboard Railroad Roman scheme. Note that the
monogram and dimensional data have been moved one
panel closer to the door, and that the B-8 classification
is omitted. Seaboard stopped using their car
classification system around 1955. Note also that the
area around both sides of the door has been damaged,
probably by the use of forklifts to open the car doors.
Hopewell VA, October 26, 1965. Lloyd Moore photo,
Larry Goolsby collection.
7
7. SAL 13009 is one of the 100 1937 cars rebuilt
for dry rock phosphate service. Note the Improved
Youngstown door, the strengthened bottom side sill,
and roof hatches. The car was painted in an attractive
gray scheme with black lettering, but the heart in the
monogram remained red. Warren Calloway photo.
Raleigh NC, March 11, 1965.
Seaboard B8 & B9 - 5
6
MRH-Jun 2014
