Reference \ Car Builders \ Carter Brothers, Builders \ Known Carter Brothers Orders
Known Carter Brothers Orders.
Compiled by Randy Hees.Many have debated how many (and what) cars the Carter’s built over the years. Unfortunatly, no known list(s) of cars built survive. I have started a list of references, rumors and on rare occasions facts. From it I compiled this (incomplete) production list by year and type.
At this point the list contains more questions than answers. It begins with a body of more or less “hard” references to Carter built cars.Hard references include newspaper reports, (most frequently in the Oakland Tribune under “Newark Items”) but also including reports from customers end, well researched rosters of a railroad’s equipment, and the occasional random paper survival such as specification sheets and invoices.At the end of the “Known” list are a series of less certain or so far undated orders.
Throughout the list are cars described as being in production in various newspaper articles, (example Jan 22, 1884, “box cars for Mexico”) but we don’t know for whom, or how many, so more information is needed. Also, some of the cars are probably listed twice (or more) as the newspapers would list an order received, the work in progress and later the shipment of the car, while the same order may appear in another publication, or we may hold an invoice....And I have noted occasional problems with the name listed...(for example, I suspect that the “Sept 13, 1882, (Oakland Tribune.) Goodall & Perkins" cars are being purchased for the Pacific Coast RR.)
I am asking for the following (or as much as you can find for any reference); Date, purchaser, car type and count, and the source. (I am willing to accept rumor, or ???) As I receive information I will update the list and redistribute the results. And, we are primarily after the original owner, but will gather info on later owners as a way to locate the original purchaser.
Known Carter built Cars.
June-Oct, 1874, Monterey & Salinas Valley
40 Flat cars, 8 Box cars & 2 combines, 2 hand cars (all to Nevada Central)
November 1874, NPC
Express cars (2)
30, 24’, 8-ton box cars
1874-1875, NPC about 150 flat cars
1875-1876, Santa Cruz and Felton
34 flat car kits (24’ 8 ton cars)
6 boxcars (January 1876) (24’ 8 ton cars, built on flatcar frames by railroad)
2 passenger cars, (June 1876) one first class, one second class (one later sold to A&MR?)
Aug. 1875, Nevada County Narrow Gauge (kits assembled in Colfax, turntables) from Grass Valley Union.
7 cars, 8-ton flatcars
15 cars, 8-ton Box cars
1875-1876, NPC, The Carter Bros. assemble approximately 150 flatcar kits built by Barney & Smith
Nov 6 1875, contract with Santa Clara Valley for 1 combine, 2 first class passenger cars, 1 2nd class passenger car, two baggage cars, 10 boxcars, 10 flatcars, 1 hand car, 2 iron cars, for delivery by December 23. Later delivered to SPC
1876, for SPC, 60 flatcars (10 ton, Nos. 21-139 odd)
1877, for SPC:
2 cabooses (1&2)
30 flatcars (Nos. 141-199 odd)
1878, for SPC:
5 BME (Nos. 3-7)
8 2nd class coaches, (Nos. 6, 7, 9-14)
2 1st class coaches, (Nos. 5 & 8)
1878-1880, for SPC 55 flatcars, (201-309 odd)
1879 for SPC
2 combines (nos. 17 & 18)
4 1st class coaches (Nos. 19-22)
5 2nd class coaches (Nos. 23-27)
1879-1880, for SPC, 34 boxcars, (Nos. 22-90 (even))
1880, For SPC:
BME (No 8)
2 Cabooses (Nos. 3 & 32)
4 2nd class passenger cars (Nos. 28-31)
March 1880, drawing for Pedestal & Journal box (CSRM collection, 538, 327)
1880, Oregonian Railroad thought to be 175 cars
70 10 ton, combination box cars
30 10 ton, regular box cars
70 10 ton flat cars
5 passenger cars
Many of these cars later transferred to the SPC, and later to NS and N&C.
May 30, 1881, build 12 duckbill coaches for SPC (nos. 34-46) (Oakland Tribune)
Nov. 12, 1881 The Reno "Gazette" says that ten freight cars have arrived for the Nevada.
Oregon, (later NCO) and part of them have been set up. A passenger car is also nearly completed. The cars are made at Newark, Alameda County, California. The company is now arranging for a construction train which will be made as follows: four flat cars, sleeping accommodations for forty-eight men, dining car, kitchen, and blacksmith shop. This train will move along one or two miles each day, as may be necessary. The railroad iron is beginning to arrive. (Truckee Republican, Saturday, Nov. 12, 1881 -Kyle)
Jan. 23, 1882, building 3 passenger coaches and 3 cabooses for California Southern RR, (standard gauge) shipping to San Diego (Oakland Tribune.)
Feb 19, 1882, have run out several new passenger cars (for California Southern?) Oakland Tribune)
Feb. 23, 1882, just completed 2 broad gauge passenger cars for the California Southern (Oakland Tribune)
April 3 1882, 4 cabooses for the SPC (44-48) also repainting passenger cars (Oakland Tribune)
June 14, 1882, Carter Brothers has an order for 50 freight cars (Oakland Tribune)
Aug. 19, 1882, building 50 flats, 5 box cars for SJ&SN (note, it appears that they only built 47 flats), just finished 50 flats for San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria RR (Oakland Tribune)
Sept 13, 1882, (Oakland Tribune) Goodall & Perkins (Pacific Coast RR?), 2 first class passenger coaches, one caboose car, ten boxcars, San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada, one caboose, Oregon & ...... Railroad, twenty flats, one caboose,.....( 1882, 3 coaches for Pacific Coast RR (Nos. 101-103) (Best) 1882 35 Flat ? Box cars for Pacific Coast RR (from Best) Dec. 1883, 16 standard gauge disconnect trucks and 1 hand car for Renton Holmes (Port Blakely) (Carter invoice, University of Washington). Dec 1883, Drawing for “Castings for Kemble (sic? Korbel?) Log trucks for California Redwood (CSRM collection, 532) 1883, Drawing for Truss rods for narrow gauge turntable (CSRM collection, 535) Jan 22 1884, Building box cars for Mexico, Flat cars for “parties in San Francisco”, Coaches for SPC (Oakland Tribune ) Feb. 4, 1884, building 10 new passenger cars, (Oakland Tribune) February 9, 1884, Mining & Scientific Press, castings for 120 new logging cars being built by Carter Bros. for the California Redwood Co., of Humboldt County at Golden State & Miners foundry. 3-29-84, Oakland Tribune, "Newark Items" now building several cars for the S.P.C.R.R. Co. which are a decided improvement on those now in use. They are much wider, and the seats get the benefit, which will give more comfort to passengers. They are also building more logging-cars. They have an order from Kimball Brothers (possibly Korbel Bros? – A&MR?) for a caboose. May 26, 1884, “Carter Brothers have a large order of flat cars under construction” (Oakland Tribune) Oct 4, 1884, 2 cars for the Ell River RR (Oakland Tribune) 1884, Drawing for Brake head & shoe, for Elk River RR (CSRM collection, 536) 1884, build coach for SJ&SN (Ettie) (later owners, SPC, NPC, WP&Y) Jan 1886, Drawing for pedestal & oil box, standard gauge, for logging car (CSRM collection, 535) May 1887, for Korbel & Sons, 10 22’ x 6’3” flat cars (invoice) (A&MR) 1887, 5 passenger cars for Pacific Coast RR 3 coaches (105-107), 1 Baggage (200), 1 Combine (caboose?)(300)(from Best) date? 9, single ended horse cars, 5 of which were double deck, owned by Highland Park and Fruitvale RR Co., converted to electric. (Hansen, Early Day Trolleys of the East Bay, p 20) date? 25, standard gauge cable cars for the Market Street Railway (Hilton, Cable-Cars in America May 1889 Frank Dillingham ordered the following Carter cars for the Oahu Railway
& Land Co.: 2 hand cars, 2 track-laying cars, 8 flat cars, 1 box car, 6 flat cars with tops and seats, suitable for third class passengers or excursion cars (These had open sides and canvas roofs.), 2 second class cars, 2 combination freight and smoking cars, 4 first class cars, and 1 first class parlor car with chair seats and one or two lounges, WC on each side for gentlemen and ladies, upholstered in plush, every thing finished in first-class style. (This was called "Pearl" and was set up so that it could be converted to a royal car.) (from Mac Simpson) Aug. 1889, two passenger cars (nos. 2 & 3 ) Renton Holmes (Port Blakely) (invoice) October to December 1889 for Los Angeles & Redondo: 4 flat cars with air brakes, but without trucks $200/each 15 flat cars with air brakes and trucks $445/each 10 box cars with air brakes and trucks $565/each Wharfage
fees in Redondo for these cars was $20 per box car, $15 per complete box car, and $10 for the car bodies only. 1890, 100, 4-wheel 2 1/2 ton beet cars for Pajaro Valley
Consolidated (Nos. 1-100) 1890, 8, 10-ton flat cars for Pajaro Valley Consolidated
(Nos. 101-108) 1890, 5, 10-ton box cars for Pajaro Valley Consolidated
(Nos. 201-206) 1890, 2, cabooses, 10 ton, for Pajaro Valley Consolidated 1891, 16, 15-ton flat cars for Pajaro Valley Consolidated
(Nos. 109- 124) 1892, 6, standard gauge single truck electric cars, For the East Oakland Street Railroad Co. numbered 1-6, California type, painted yellow trimmed with red, two WP 30 motors, K type controllers,Taylor trucks.(Hansen, Early Day Trolleys of the East Bay, p 11) 1892, (April-June) 30 electric narrow gauge streetcars for the Oakland, San Leandro & Haywards Electric Railway. (Hansen, Oakland, San Leandro & Haywards Electric Railway, p 2) July 22, 1893 Mining & Scientific Press, The Metropolitan Railway Co. has received the first four electric-cars of an installment of ten which the Carter Bros. Car Works of Newark are building. The new cars are of the double-ender pattern, with the front and rear dummy both open and capable of seating eight persons on each. The cars are much larger than those now in use on the Metropolitan system running from Powell and Eddy streets to the park. 1893, for NPC 13 28’ combination boxcars 5 coaches (Nos. 30-34) 1893, 6 narrow gauge (3'6") single truck electric cars, for the Central Avenue Street Railway Co., Oakland Ca. , numbered 11-16, painted red with gold trim, two WP 30 motors, J type controllers, Brill trucks. (Hansen, Early Day Trolleys of the East Bay, p 9) Dec 1893/January 1894, San Francisco “Powell Street” Cable Cars (for Mid-Winters Fair) July 1894, for the San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway, 6 cars, numbered 28-33, single truck electric street cars, California type, Brill 21-E truck, K controller (railroad also received funeral car 1st used Aug 27,1894, builder unknown) (RR had express motor #32, may have been built from wrecked car) (Echeverria) April 3, 1895, Letter from Thomas to Adolph Sutro, quoting 8 single truck cars, and 15 double truck cars (letter refers to cars built for the Metropolitan RR, “Kearny Street” cars and Alameda, Oakland and Piedmont Railroad cars (BAERM Archives, Vernon Sappers Collection) February 28, 1896, contracted to build 150 platform cars for the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley (these are standard gauge cars) (RR Gazette, via Ron Rudnick) 1896, 4 standard gauge single truck electric cars, For the East Oakland Street Railroad Co., two were California type, painted yellow trimmed with red, two WP 30 motors, K type controllers, Taylor trucks, the other two were single truck double deck. (Hansen, Early Day Trolleys of the East Bay, p12) 1897, 4 standard gauge single truck electric cars, For the East Oakland Street Railroad Co., two were California type, painted yellow trimmed with red, two WP 30 motors, K type controllers, Taylor trucks, the other two were single truck double deck. (Hansen, Early Day Trolleys of the East Bay, p12) July 1894, for the San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway, 4 cars, numbered 34-37, single truck electric street cars, California type, Brill 21-Atruck, K-10 controller (Echeverria) 1895, for the California Railway, Combine (no 11, later to Tonapah & Tidewater) and 2 coaches (Nos 20 & 21) all to Key System, No 21 converted to line car 1201, now at BAERM, (The Key Route) 1899, West Side Flume & Lumber Co., 80 disconnect trucks (Ferrell) March 1899, West Side Flume & Lumber Co., 6 24’ 15 ton flats (Ferrell) Fall 1899, West Side Flume & Lumber Co., 10 24’ 10 ton flats (Ferrell) June 28, 1901, 24 freight cars for the Sierra Valley Railroad (Myrick, RR of Nevada & Eastern CA, Vol I, via Tom Armstrong, also from the RR Gazette, via Ron Rudnick) For Brazil, 35 1st class passenger cars, 1 private car (Bruce, South Pacific Coast) Sonoma Valley RR (owned 2 box, 24 flat, 4 Passenger cars) San Gabriel Valley Rapid Transit (builder’s photo) Arcata & Mad River disconnects Russian River Land and Lumber (NPC) disconnects Stewarts Point (may be used from L. E. White) Central American equipment (Kyle Wyatt ?)Undated and / or unconfirmed Orders