Nostalgia & History > Unusual container placement?

Hey all:

Been recently scanning a day on the Needles sub back in November 1997, and came across this train we (brother stevelv and I) stumbled upon in Goffs, CA.  Shots aren't the best, but what caught my attention was how the first three containers were "loaded" on the well cars.  I don't recall ever seeing this before, but it might be a case of just not noticing the phenomenon in other trains.  

Was/is this a common occurrence?  How were they secured to the well car - just on the one end?  Why was/is this done - shortage of the right-sized well cars for the containers?

Thanks for any info.

Rob Benkovitz
West Palm Beach Florida 

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Are these containers still sitting on their trailer frame and rubber tires?   

cjvrr Wrote:
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> Are these containers still sitting on their
> trailer frame and rubber tires?   

Hmmm - didn't even think of that!!  It's tough to tell from these photos, but I belive you're correct.
 

I've seen this many times. They will drop a TOFC style trailer (wheeled) into a well car and send it on its way.

I probably have more shots of this type of arrangement than this, but you can see the placement of trailers in well cars in the first couple of cars in my shots in this thread here.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5263670,5263672#5263672

How is the trailer secured on these?  Do single well-cars have a collapsible trailer hitch inside the well?

broken_link Wrote:
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> I've seen this many times. They will drop a TOFC
> style trailer (wheeled) into a well car and send
> it on its way.

PasadenaSub Wrote:
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> How is the trailer secured on these?  Do single
> well-cars have a collapsible trailer hitch inside
> the well?
>

Hitch is over the truck on the "A" end.  These cars were designed for both TOFC and COFC service. 

Thanks all for the responses - I should've realized they were trailers, not containers, although in my defense it is very hard to tell the difference in the pics I posted.  Now that it was pointed out to me, yes, I've seen this many times.  

Live and learn!!