Does anyone have a link to a quick history on freight car reporting marks? Trying to find out when the modern XXXX ##### system was adopted. To me, it looks too ‘modern’ for a pre-war themed layout but I could be all wrong about that.
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A Wikipedia look up will give you the current rules--1 to 4 letters and etc. The history is a bit harder to find but this link to the Railway Age Gazette discusses the attempt to standardize and eliminate duplicate ones. Seems a max of 3 letters unless the RR chooses to use an &.
X is leased...
SHPX / UTLX around in steam days...
X as the last letter is used by non railroad owners of equipment.
CSX adds a T as a result- CSXT.
Z is the last letter on an intermodal trailer and U is the last letter on an intermodal container. As others have said, x is a leased car. Most tank cars are leased in this day and time UTLX is the Union Tank Car reporting marks.
