D&M Christmas tree cars

[MP73point4]

Larry G, thanks for the memory! I remember seeing these modified boxcars in the photo below in Cheboygan when I was a kid. They were used to ship Christmas trees in the mid 70's. The Christmas tree farms around Cheboygan would pile up trees like cordwood on the ground near the depot site all sorted into the various types and sizes beginning in October. They would load these modified boxcars with them for shipment. The local kids had a blast climbing on the piles and making forts in them (and unknowingly damaging them). And the local cops had a challenge keeping the kids out of them. I wish I had a photo myself, but I wasn't yet into trains back then.

[Larry G]

Hey, thanks for answering a question about that car I have had for years since I took the photo!!!

[Ben Higdon]

Neat picture! Did they string netting or anything across the door opening, or were the trees stacked crosswise like pulp logs so they wouldn't fall out?

I've been curious about christmas tree boxcars for a long time. Was this same style of boxcar modification that other roads did? Looks like they cut slots into the sides of the car for letting air circulate?

[Raildudes dad]

Neat picture! Did they string netting or anything across the door opening, or were the trees stacked crosswise like pulp logs so they wouldn't fall out?

I've been curious about christmas tree boxcars for a long time. Was this same style of boxcar modification that other roads did? Looks like they cut slots into the sides of the car for letting air circulate?

Looks like netting across the doors on my screen

[Hugh]

Neet stuff. Thanks for posting.

[MP73point4]

The "netting" across the doors was actually made from pieces of roof walkway welded across the opening. Most of this was probably reclaimed off the removed roofs. They were loaded and unloaded from the top. I don't recall if the trees were loaded lenghtwise or crosswise like pulpwood. The slots cut in the side were indeed for allowing air circulation.
I don't remember how long they used these cars for this service. It wasn't too many years. It would have been in the mid to late 70's. Really a pretty clever idea by someone. Kind of a unique operation and an interesting modeling project.

[Ben Higdon]

Thanks for the explanation! I'm going to have to model a similar car. I model the former PRR Muskegon Branch in 1978, so a few PC boxcar conversions may be in order.

I read on the other MI board that the Cadillac and Lake City had a few former GTW boxcars that were converted to pulp log service. I imagine it was a conversion similar to the D&M boxcar, but I'm curious if they welded the door shut on those cars, or did something different to keep the load secure.

An operator at BO in Kalamazoo mentioned once that they used to haul old beat up wooden boxcars of Christmas trees south on the GR&I. I'd also like to see what that would have looked like, I suppose the wooden sides of the cars would have provided plenty of air flow at that point. Seems like a wooden boxcar would have been a rickety setup with no roof.