Would having a flatcar or some other kind of ‘light’ frame car with an adjustable wheelbase be feasible? I’m thinking of adjustment along the lines of the semi-truck trailer wheels that can be adjusted. Perhaps left in the “long” base position for transition over the mainlines and kicked/brought to the “shorter” base position for getting into tighter locations…just wondering. One of those day dream thoughts.
If you have a shorter wheelbase, you will have lots of overhang. Then you will have trouble keeping the couplers/airhoses coupled, as well as risking hitting anything near a curve on the track (which is very common in a lot of industries)
You are also forgetting the old Disconnecting logging cars were the trucks were only held together by the logs on top of the trucks and empty were hooked together with a chain.
Ed/Balt:
Those cars are what I had been thinking of. Thanks for clarifying.