how about this?

Try a search for "Plasterboard flatcar"

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Plasterboard+flatcar

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/selectdocs.php?index=rs&id=637

Sometimes Google is TOO good...

wow - that's amazing!

Thanks for your suggestions!

Well, I dug through the links - The NW ones were real interesting! However, I STILL can't find a picture of a car with the darn load on it! Boy, All that time I was growing up, right next to the tracks, and did I ever think to take pics? Of course Not!  Never took any pics of the two Circus trains that went by over the years either! Or the week when they put in a temporary siding, right behind our back fence, to park a work train while repairing the track! What was I thinking?? Totally clueless... sigh.

Back to the search,

-eb

50's and 60's

I recall lots of open lumber cars in the late 50's, flatcars of green 2X framing material or 1X sheathing or fence boards. I rode on a shifting load of 2by4s from Watsonville to Santa Cruz probably around 1960. Dry or higher grade lumber was mostly shipped in boxcars . As far as sheetrock in the 50's I don't recall seeing any shipped on flats, it wasn't really popular until the 60's so the amount that was shipped might have been shipped in boxcars.I saw a few tarped flatcar loads rolling by in the old days but I don't know what was under the tarps, usually they were not sheetrocked shaped mounds though :> ) . In the 60's I recall many sheetrock loads of plastic wrapped units  on flats or bulkhead flats.By the 60's it might also have been shipped in the Thrall-door cars? As the plastic sheeting got better or cheaper it became more common to see plastic wrapped higher grade lumber on open cars too. Good luck with the research and let us know if you find a definitive answer.....DaveB

I found this...

I see what you mean. no load photos.

here's a wrapped load. http://railroadfan.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10073/BCOL_964001.jpg

I see that has the Consolidated Stencil, so... after 1974 -

That's kinda late for me, but may still be helpful. Looks like they secured the load, then pulled the tarp over and banded it down through the stake pockets, pulling the excess length of tarp back over the end of the load.

Thanks!

-e

here's one from 1963

Getting closer to your time frame.

 http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/50644

.DaveB

Here's another tarped load

looks like could be the early 60's?

http://thenhrhtanewhavenrailroadforum.yuku.com/topic/6893#.Uwj8LfldWHY

    .DaveB

D&RGW flat built1960

 Built for sheetrock and pipe service, no photo of loads though. 

 http://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/files/OAHP/NRSR/5DV10295.pdf

.DaveB

lots of neat stuff here

scroll down to the aug 11 post that tells about car types and industry approved loading method  for sheet rock

http://cnwmodeling.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html

 .....DaveB

"Gypsum" and "Wallboard"

"Gypsum" and "Wallboard" would be two other search terms to try.  But I don't think you're going to find much on open cars except wrapped stacks,  like this:  http://rr-fallenflags.org/cbq/cbq95005ajs.jpg

I don't have anything similar for SP--maybe during fair weather and for short hauls they shipped some without wrappers.  Good luck, 

Great photos! , And the last link has good info!

Dave,

Thanks for the links! The info in the last link probably will do the trick... good stuff there! Lots of good detail in those last pics too - I really like the one showing the horizontal strips of cardboard that was used along the bottom of the units and the strips under the banding...  The logos on the wrapping is nice and clear too!

After reading your last link, I guess I can safely go ahead and model with sheets of fiberboard on top of the units, then band them with strips of cardboard under the banding, and not worry about tarping, especially as I model June of 67, in northern CA. Not much chance of rain damage for a shipper sending drywall up from southern CA that time of year!

Thanks again for all the help guys!

-Eric

Low Bulkhead flat cars

  I remember seeing CGW flat cars with a 'low' bulkhead - They were used for shipping wrapped sheetrock out of Ft Dodge, IA.

Jim

An idea

I checked out E-bay. I am in the process of building some bulkhead cars and I am using Jaeger kits to load them with. I have two of the kits so far, and they came assembled. The center beam kit I have each piece has to be assembled and then banded. Here's one of the kits I found in a quick search. I just typed "Jaeger HO scale" in the search bar.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gypsum-load-for-HO-60-ft-railroad-flat-car-by-Jaeger-/141199960937?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item20e02c6b69