Containers, Well cars,

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

When were containers on flat cars and well cars first used?

Thanks,

John

2

The first containers on flat cars were probably the Flexi-Vans in the late 1950s. They (containers, as opposed to trailers) never really caught on, though, until the late 1970s or so, when SP rebuilt some flat cars to accommodate double-stacked containers.

The first low cars built for carrying double-stacked containers came in 1983, from FMC (bulkheads–FMC later spun off their freight car manufacturing business which became Gunderson) and Thrall (which used the Lo-Pac 2000 design to build the first well cars).

3

Thanks Carl,

John

4

I can’t let this one go.

Intermodal container on flatcar service dates from the early 1920’s. Please see this 1922 article from the New York Times:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=940DEEDC1239E133A2575BC0A9679C946395D6CF

Intermodal COFC service developed about as soon as highway motor trucks that could carry a decent load of freight were developed. The IM service combined the best elements of rail and road transport to produce a highly efficient seamless transportation service that reduced US logistics costs signficantly.

This had the ability to give the US a tremendous economic advantage over other countries. Intermodal developed and expanded rapidly until the US Government, in a typical boneheaded regulatory decision, ordered the container service rates increased during the Great Depression. (“In the Matter of Container Service”, 1931) This harmed the economy and diverted significant amounts of freight to all highway movement.

We’ve been paying the price for this regulatory madness ever since. The price regulation of intermodal was removed in 1981 and container service again began to develop rapidly. But 50 years of development was lost forever. In that 50 years the US logistics system configured to rely on motor freight. Getting it reconfigured is much more difficult than it would have been if the container service had been allowed to develop in a market oriented manner in the first place.