Last updated 09/03/09

B&O Sentinel Service Boxcars

466000 - 466499

Photo Documentation

Courtesy of the B&O Yahoo chat group

Sentinel Service:

.... was introduced in 1946-47 as a car tracing system, back before computers and networks.   This was done by clerks, telegraph, telephones, and paperwork.  
About 100 M-55c 40' boxcars were painted  a promotional aluminum over gray as rolling advertisements, as shown in the Bossler book.    By the late 1950's,
computers had taken over some of the duties (at some point called the DOT System) and Sentinel Service faded away.  But not before 1000's of B&O
non-wagontop boxcars were painted in a bright red oxide paint with "Sentinel Service Dependability" slogan between 1958 and 1962 as a standard B&O boxcar
scheme.  More rolling billboards.
466005 San Diego, Model Railroading, 4/89  
466016 Unknown location, 12/11/59 http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo466016.jpg
466023 Chicago Railroad Fair dated September 4, 1948. Picture documentation by Dennis Fulton   
466024 Details unknown - photo offered for sale on eBay in 2011. (Ken Braden files) http://www.kbbraden.com/Sentinel/466024
466027

Barr Yard, Chicago, IL. This was a new classification yard in 1949.

Inside cover of the B&O RR Annual Report for 1949. Photo likely taken in 1948 by a B&O RR Company Photographer

 
466032 Railroad Car Journal No.5, Fall 1972, P. 39, Built 8/45  
" Council Bluffs, IA. B&O Color Guide to Freight & Passenger Equipment, P. 77  
" E. St. Louis IL, 1947. Railway Prototype Cyclopedia, Vol. 5, P. 4  
466034 Viewed in movie "Memories of the B&O"  
466036 Cumberland MD. Color photo of B&O diesel switcher #255 pulling two of Sentinel cars out of the yard past the tower  
" Above photo on the cover of "Modern Railroads" November 1949 magazine.  
" B&ORRHS Calendar of 1997. The January picture is like the one above except that the engine is not as close to the camera and you can only read the car number on the end of the first car.  
" With 466377 This picture was published in a pamphlet that the public relation dept. passed out called "The B&O, The story of the railroad that grew up with the United States" by Carroll Bateman, 1951 B&O Printing Plant, Baltimore, MD. This was a B&W photo.  
466039 Suspension Bridge in NY, 12/2/51. Joseph Brauner photo / Bill Drummond collection  
466041 Probably Zanesville, probably a Paul Dunn photo, reweigh date PV 8-53, Jim Mischke collection  
466042 Broadside view of car, Bob's Photo, neg# T0365  
466049 Viewed in movie "Memories of the B&O"  
466054 Zanesville OH, 4/2/52. Paul Dunn photo / Mark Morgan collection

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo466054amm.jpg  

466055 3/4 view, the 'B' end showing, San Diego, 10/28/54. Bob's Photo, neg# FBT020  
466056 Eckington Yard, Washington DC, 1948. Photo from collection of Bill Hopkins  
"

Barr Yard, Chicago , IL. This was a new classification yard in 1949.

Inside cover of the B&O RR Annual Report for 1949. Photo likely taken in 1948 by a B&O RR Company Photographer

 
" Viewed in movie "Memories of the B&O"  
466058 Chicago IL, circa 1950 (Sentinel, Vol.16 #3, 5-6/94, P. 21 / Photo B&ORRHS collection) - w/ four other Sentinel cars  
466060 Front color cover of B&O RR Annual Report for 1947  
466065 Broadside view, Washington DC, 6/10/47. Sentinel, Vol.17 #5, 9-10/95, P. 19 / L.W. Rice photo  
466074 Unknown location, 1954. B&O Color Guide to Freight & Passenger Equipment, P. 77  
466076 Railway Age magazine, Issue #19 (11/8/47), P. 51 - also Vol. 123 (2nd half 1947, P. 785)  
466078 R.C. Feld Photo, Jeannette, PA., ca. 1959  
466080 Akron Jct., OH, 1961. Edwin C. Kirstatter Slide  
466091 Cumberland MD, 5/49. B&O Steam Finale, Vol. 1, P. 51  
"

In train with other display equipment headed to or from an exhibit/pageant somewhere along the line. circa 1949. Silver truck frames. Silver roof. Bob Lorenz photo, negative number ES-88

 
466096 Broadside view of car, Baltimore MD, 8/45. B&O RR Photo neg. #3243  
" B&O RR Co. Photo, 1945. NEB&W Guide IV, railroads starting with letter B  
" B&O RR Co. Photo, 1945. The Model Craftsman Magazine, 6/47, P. 2, 19  
" Trains Magazine, 4/47, P. 10  
" Railroad Magazine, 6/47, P. 87  
" B&O RR add in Modern Railroads November 1949 issue. Inside cover there is an add for the B&O's Sentinel Service featuring the 466096.  
" Rost-oleum ad in Modern Railroads November 1949 issue. On page 20 there is a Rust-oleum add featuring the 466096 Sentinel Service boxcar.  
" B&O Magazine, April, 1950, P. 3  
" B&O Magazine, 9/53, P. 4  
" Freight Cars Rolling, Sagle, Pub.1960 S-B Pub. Co., P. 27  
" A end, "Scale Modeling and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad", by William H.L. Dornette, P. 74 right side  
" Same as above, was on page 14a of the handouts by the B&O RR Public Relations office  
"

3/4 view @ Mt. Clare, the 'A' end showing by B&O RR Co.

 
"

3/4 view @ Mt. Clare, the 'B' end showing by Winnie Kehs, picture taken outside

 
"

3/4 view from the 'A' end, B&O RR Sentinel Service brochure

 
466098 York PA, 1951. B&O Color Guide to Freight & Passenger Equipment, P. 78  
466125 Zanesville 5/12/55, Paul Dunn photo, Jim Mischke collection  
466188 Baltimore MD, 1955 (B&O Salute) - NMRA Convention, August, 1955, PRR Produce Terminal  
" 8 x 10 photo, Baltimore MD, 1955 - NMRA Convention, August, 1955, PRR Produce Terminal, Dennis Fulton collection  
466254 Akron Jct., OH, 1957. Edwin C. Kirstatter Slide  
466292 Walter E.Frost freight photo collection in the City of Vancouver Archives of the photo of a B&O 466292  Click here to go to the website
466311 Gerstley Collection (found on eBay)  
466377 Cumberland MD (color photo of B&O diesel switcher #255 pulling two of Sentinel cars out of the yard past the tower) - with #466036 (listed above)  
" 466377 with 466036. This picture was published in a pamphlet that the public relation dept. passed out called "The B&O, The story of the railroad that grew up with the United States" by Carroll Bateman 1951 B&O Printing Plant, Baltimore, MD. But this was B&W not color.  
466440

Inside cover of the 1954 B&O RR Annual Report which shows side view of both 466440 & 466464. "Ad" title is "B&O Featured Freight Service" and shows Sentinel, Time-Saver and TOFCEE cars. 

**This may have been a PR Dept. fabricated number for use on the same annual report cover with 466464.**

 
466464 "A" end view, looks brand new. B&O RR Co. Photo  
" Inside cover of the 1954 B&O RR Annual Report which shows side view of both 466440 & 466464. "Ad" title is "B&O Featured Freight Service" and shows Sentinel, Time-Saver and TOFCEE cars. **This car photographed elsewhere and this is why it is theorized that maybe the PR Dept. used this photo and doctored the number to get 466440 for the Annual Report**  
     
     
     

Photos of Sentinel Boxcars where the numbers are not visible

No Visible Numbers Sentinel Train in book "Railroads of Today", by S. Kip Farrington, Jr. 1949 page 66c. Shows a B&O Sentinel freight train with new B&O Class T-3 4-8-2 type, engine #5585 about to leave Deshler Yard en route to Chicago, courtesy B&O RR. First car appears to be 466--4  
No Visible Number No number readable, in Sagles book "Freight Cars Rolling" on page 123 is a picture of a Sentinel boxcar on the forward end of a car float being ferried across New York Harbor. No date given.  
No Visible Number

String of six Sentinel boxcars are seen together. The first cars' number is not visible the second is 466056, the third is 466027 and car four through six, the numbers are not visible. These cars are in the New Classification Yard, Chicago, IL. Inside cover of the B&O RR Annual Report for 1949. Photo likely taken in 1948 by a B&O RR Company Photographer. Interesting fact is that at least four out of the six have a dark roof, probably blue.

 
No Visible Number Chicago IL, circa 1950. Sentinel, Vol.16 #3, 5-6/94, P. 21 / Photo B&ORRHS collection - 466058 is visible, four other Sentinel cars are with 466058 but their numbers are not visible.  

Pictures of experimental paint scheme. Same paint scheme, only difference is "Siding to Siding Dependability" font which is in script. This car never left Mt. Clare.

466096 Broadside view of car, Mt. Clare shop shows an alternate script font "Siding to Siding Dependability" slogan (B&O RR Photo neg. #3244) This photo shows the alternate script that was NOT used on the car.

"

Per Ed Kirstatter, B&O RR Photos #3241 & #3142 are also photos of this experimental scheme These photos show the alternate script that was NOT used on the cars.

"

3/4 view @ Mt. Clare, the 'B' end showing by Winnie Kehs, picture taken outside This photo shows the alternate script that was NOT used on the car.

Many thanks needs to be expressed to the major contributors of this list. I want to personally thank Ed Kirstatter, Dennis Fulton, Jim Mischke and Brian DeVries. The first three men contributed a lot to the content of this information and Brian and I both compiled the initial list and put it into a format that was easily accessed by the masses. 

 

Contributions to this listing made by:

 

Edwin Kirstatter

Jim Mischke

Dennis Fulton

Brian DeVries

Ken Braden

Thank you to all that have commented, contributed and helped with editing. If you see something, anything that should/could be edited please let me know and if anyone has any further documentation please share it with the group. 

List maintained by Ken Braden who should be contacted at sentinel@kbbraden.com with any additional or corrective information which will be utilized to update the list.