Concept Santa Fe Stack Cars

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I’m looking for information and pictures on Santa Fe stack cars…

But these aren’t any ordinary stack cars, they were designed by Santa Fe. If I remember correctly, the cross-section roughly resembles an “A.” They were not road trailers of any sort. Double stack-capable.

I want to say that they were called “A-Stacks” or something…But I can’t remember the name…I know that makes it hard…I’m sorry.

2

You’re probably thinking of the American Car and Foundry/Southern Pacific Double-Stack cars. There was a full writeup and modelling plans published on these in the October 1983 issue of Model Railroader

The original single unit is on display at the California State Railroad Museum.

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/flat/f070-81.htm

Or the 5 unit

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/flat/fc270-01.htm

3

Hello Scott,

I remember the cars you’re wondering about, and they were quite distinct from the SP’s Double-Stack well cars that carried standard ISO containers. The Santa Fe developed these odd-shaped containers that would straddle spine cars, sort of like saddlebags, and that could be stacked for shipping and storage. The concept never went anywhere because the non-standard containers weren’t acceptable to the railroad’s customers. You can probably find a photo or two in “Trains” magazine from the late 1970s or early 1980s, but I bet they’ll be hard to find because they were news photos. I don’t recall any feature articles on this equipment.

So long,

Andy

4

Yes, they did straddle the spine cars…

Hmm, now I’ll have to be on the look out for older Trains magazines.

5

Scott,

I looked through a bunch of my old Santa Fe books and articles remembering that I had seen an A-stack somewhere. In the Santa Fe Modeler, 1st quarter 1992 on page 27 is a picture of one. It is in B&W and it was taken by Joe McMillan. The article was done by Stephen Priest. Both of these guys are still around and have websites where you might be able to track down more information and/or pictures

Mikie

6

No he’s not. He’s talking about the fiberglass gambrel roof containers in the 950000 series that could be used to ship cargo and grain overseas that ATSF was developing.

There’s a picture of them in bull session in MR NOV 1982.

TomDiehl wrote:

“You’re probably thinking of the American Car and Foundry/Southern Pacific Double-Stack cars. There was a full writeup and modelling plans published on these in the October 1983 issue of Model Railroader”