Re: [CBQ] Trailer Train

["Fred Crissey" <fhc925@frontier.com>]

Rupert;

This is before I hired out but after I moved to Detroit in May 1964 the story related to me from various sources and if IRRC the story was this.  The auto rack car was developed by the ATSF and the SP on a competitive basis in the late 1950s.  My guess is that the SP handled the GM program and the ATSF handled the Ford program.  The original car length was 85ft which evolved to 87ft and finally to 89ft cars by 1965.  There was work on a 93ft car but there were some issues and car length remains at 89ft.  The ATSF and the SP had their own "marks" on their cars.  I think other roads did this as well; SLSF comes to mind.  As in most new concepts some trips up some "blind alleys" were made and the 476996 is one of them.  As time passed and other carriers (like the Q) were asked to contribute to these new pools they had to come up with cars and the racks.  Trailer Train (TTX) which started as a PRR subsidiary for flat cars for handling TOFC, was opened up for other carriers to join and the CBQ did.  When I do not know.  What happened is that TTX owned the flat car and the carriers the racks (everything above the car deck).  The Q numbered all of their racks separately from the car number.  Trailer Train maintained the car and the carriers the racks including the "tie downs".  Who built the flats was TTX's job but the racks were owned by the carriers.  There were several rack fabricators over the years.  Whitehead and Kales located at River Rouge, MI was the best known while Evans Products and Paragon were two of the others.  I am sure the 476996 became RTTX 476996.  The Q rack number I do know.  The annual Mechanical Dept. booklet of Freight Equipment did list the rack numbers but not the TTX cars on which they were mounted.  Car hire revenue accrued to Trailer Train.  The CB&Q and the FW&D had auto racks but not the C&S.

Fred Crissey

On Sunday, January 30, 2022, 10:46:34 PM CST, Rupert Gamlen <gamlenz@hotmail.com> wrote:

I have an ACF photo from December 1960 showing a three level Trailer Train vehicle carrier numbered CB&Q 476996. Can anyone  tell me anything about this car, how many other did the Burlington purchase, were they renumbered, etc.

Thanks

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

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