The SNR's first order for all-steel box cars came in 1927, for 500 ARA design, 8' ceiling, 40' cars with flat ends, and vertical hand brakes. This order went in to the 23000-23499 series.
The flat ends proved not up to the task, with external braces being added on some cars after just a few years. So in 1939 a rebuild program was undertaken on the entire class, to replace ends with Dreadnaughts and upgrade to power handbrakes. Owing to the youth of the series, very few of the original Creco doors were replaced, nor were the wooden roofwalks. The cars were repainted in the standard scheme - sans "Railway", with AAR marks and the modern herald. [70 of the rebuilt cars were converted at the time for express service (See "Mail and Express Cars"). ]
At this date the cars are undersize by comparison with the modern fleet, so are generally relegated to lower classes of service. The typical example is crusty after 12 or 13 years of work, but structurally sound, so we will likely see them escorted to Suffolk for paint before too long.
The Yaeger yard goat, 0-8-0 #732, has a solid block of the 23000's in tow, in varying stages of filth.
The premier vessels in the single-door box car fleet are a class of 825 AAR design cars, received in two groups. The first 300 were ordered in late 1941 and received in 1942. The remaining 525 cars would have to wait until after the war, and were delivered in '46.
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