PRR Class F21 flat cars

Diagram of PRR class F21
F21

General information:

"The class F21 & sub classes were built specifically for company service, or MW service as commonly called, and were not listed in the ORER with the freight equipment. The F21 & F21a cars with the apron at one end were fitted with a center guide strip for a plow guide so they could be unloaded by plowing, but it seems that fell out of favor, or likely the need for plowing decreased, so the aprons and guide strips were removed not too long after the cars were placed in service. Some were used as carrier cars for Marion and AH&D ditchers using short sections of portable 87" gauge track for the machines wide spool wheels which the ditcher would move ahead with a slight overlap at the ends for the spool wheels as cars were loaded and the ditcher moved over the cars and from car to car as they were loaded. Many, if not all, of the F21 cars were later re-trucked with 33" wheels which required a slight modification to some of the underframe bracing with a cutting torch to clear the wheel flange on curves. The F21 cars were practically indistinguishable from the class Fm flat cars. After being retrucked, there was a slight miss-match in coupler height, hardly noticeable at a casual glance since some couplers will occasionally vary, especially with normal wear and retrucking. I only recall seeing one car where the mismatch in height was noticeable and it was stenciled Fm, so it is possible but undocumented that they, or at least some, may have had the class changed in later years. " -- R.E. Hall

Types of trucks used

ClassCarNumbersTruck ClassTruck NameQty cars:
F21a  2D-F530" dia wheels
F21b  2D-F530" dia wheels
F21c  2D-F530" dia wheels
Truck data is from PRR documents circa 1940's. Other truck classes may also have been used.

Cars on the PRR roster (as listed in the Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER)):

There were no members of class F21 on the PRR freight interchange roster in 1944, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1958,1963, or 1968.

Equipment Diagrams online:

Class(es)tracing #View
F2136682elevation
F21a-elevation
F21a36682elevation
F21b40610elevation
F21bE-425677-Aelevation
F21c40610elevation
F21cE-425677-Aelevation

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