Identifications markings, roof walks...

[Fernando]

HAG, followed by month and year, is a identification marking on some freight cars (Western Maryland, for example) and also C&I or CRBS, followed by month and year or over the date (Conrail or Reading cars). Can anyone explain me the meaning of these markings?
Roof walks had been outlawed for new freight cars back in 1966, so far as I know. However, roof walk cars already built were still at interchange service well after that year. At least I've seen pictures of the late seventies and even more recent. Until when, more or less, could be found cars with roof walks at service?

Thank's a lot.
Fernando

[Paul M.]

Fernando-

Q#1. I don't know

Q#2. I'm not sure, but if you were lucky today you might be able to see a car with a roofwalk. Maybe.

[Stephen Warrington]

You will see no revenue boxcars with roof walks in service today as they were out lawed in 1972. Only covered hoppers have roof walks  today.

Stephen

[cmgn9712]

The markings are reweigh date - some major work was done on the car. HAG is Hagerstown Maryland shops of the WM and the date.

[SteamGene]

Some time between 1988 and 1990 I saw at least two U.S. Army 40' boxcars at the Defense General Supply Center, south of Richmond, Virginia with roof walks and full ladders.  They had to have gotten there and left there via Norfolk Southern rail. 
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Roof walks and full ladders where outlawed on NEW equipment in 1972 with the exception of top loaded and serviced cars such as covered hoppers. Existing equipment was allowed to retain them indefinately at that time.

I do not know if that was ever changed as that was about the time I stopped keeping up with new developments in the prototype. But for many many years after that date, older equipment could be seen in regular service with roof walks and ladders still in place. In fact, unless a piece of equipment was new enough in size and capacity to justify some sort of update, it would just be left alone until it was withdrawn from service and scrapped.

More important where the work rule changes that eliminated walking on the roofs of moving trains, as that was deemed unsafe and unnecessary.

Sheldon

[r.cprmier]

In the town of Machias, Maine, there is a boxcar on what is left of the "coastal line" of the B&AR-on about that much track!  It sits at what once was the Machias station!  I do believe that the car has roofwalk and ladders had been removed to presumably "lil' railfans" from "discovering what the brakeman saw...

RIch

[BillD53A]

AAR interchange rules required removal of roofwalks beginning in 1966.  No cars could be built with roofwalks after 1966.  As cars were rebuilt, the roof walks had to be removed, brakewheels lowered and ladders shortened.  As time wore on, shippers wanted newer, larger and more modern cars to load, so 40 foot boxcars, and older 50 foot cars, began to disappear.  Once cars reach the age of 40 years, they can no longer be accepted in interchange.  By the early 1980s, 40 foot cars began to disappear from the rails.  By 2006, all cars with roofwalks had to be retired from interchange service.
AAR rules only apply to member of the AAR, and the member railroads CAN ignore the rules of they want to, but they do so at their own risk.  If a railroad accepts a car in interchange service, when the car has been banned, and the car causes a derailment, the carrier is on their own...the insurance companies have cause to bail out on them.   When a car inspector refuses a car in interchange he does so because his paycheck is at stake.
You may see cars with roofwalks that are in company service, but you wont see very many.