I wrote this very brief summary in response to a question asked in this thread, http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/clinton-miller-seed.15060/#post-98810 The Frisco entered the TOFC, read piggyback, market as an experiment during the early days of April 1955. The Frisco dedicated fifteen 40-foot flat cars and twenty trailers, 27-foot and 33-foot, to the new service. Train 37 and train 30 handled only Frisco Transportation Company trailers between St Louis and Dallas. The Frisco 1955 Annual report gives a peek of the equipment used in the Frisco's fledgling TOFC service. Note the stake-pocket side rail. Annual report, my collection. By the end of 1955, the Frisco had increased the service to include Kansas City, Ft Worth, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City. Plans to add St Louis-Memphis service were being developed as well as Chicago-Memphis interline service. To handle the expansion, the Frisco added twelve additional flat cars and the road was in the process of rebuilding thirty-five cars, which could handled two trailers. During the year, the Frisco developed plans proved interline service with the TN&O. The 1955 Annual Report does not provide a break-out of revenues derived from the new TOFC service. However, the 1962 Annual Report notes an uninterrupted growth from the inception of the TOFC service, and a very healthy 32.5% revenue growth from 1961 to 1962, i.e., $1,568,675 to 2,079,284. During May 1961, the Frisco added door-to-door, off-line service, which featured these three options: The customer provides trailers and drayage; The customer furnishes the rail car, the trailers, and the drayage; The railroad the trailers, the customer performs the drayage. The March 1966 Official Railway Guide shows the placement of the Frisco's TOFC ramps. Official Guide, My collection. The Frisco added TOFC ramps on its secondary lines and its branch lines to help provide service coverage, so stations like Clinton, MO could provide door-to-door, intermodal access to that city as well as to its surrounding communities.
If anyone is interested in modeling Frisco TOFC in a later period I have as Herald King decal set Z-460 Frisco Aluminum Piggyback Trailer free for the asking. https://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/decals-for-sale-removed-from-sale.14551/ Dave Gaines
