The Will Rogers and COFC

[Karl]

In the cobwebs of my memory, I recall seeing several passenger trains at Springfield with container-carrying flatcars in the consist. Until today, I attributed the memory to being being too young to understand the circumstances.

However, while perusing my father's old TRAIN magazines, I see on page 9 of the July 1961 issue, a picture of Truxton leading a TTX 89' flat (with containers), two baggage cars, a baggage-RPO, and followed by a lone coach. The caption states that the Frisco was experimenting with containers to cut mail handling and express handling costs on trains 3&4 between St Louis and OKC.


The Frisco shops must have equipped the TTX flat with steam and signal lines

[TAG1014]

In the Green Frog video "Passenger Trains Of The 60's," there are several runbys of the Sunnyland and Southland with container cars among the head end cars. Also there are several scenes of SR trains with freight cars including tank cars tacked to the rear end!

Tom

[rc2477]

Wow, this would be really cool to model, (to bad I don't have a layout!) anyone have any pics?

[pbender]

In the Green Frog video "Passenger Trains Of The 60's," there are several runbys of the Sunnyland and Southland with container cars among the head end cars. Also there are several scenes of SR trains with freight cars including tank cars tacked to the rear end!


The container cars in that video are Seaboard Flexivans. As I understand it, they were used on a KC to Jacksonville mail route.

The video also shows the train with TOFC flats on the rear end. The Flexivan cars had steam heat and signalling lines, the TOFC flats did not.

Paul