Model Railroading > Mark III-IV-V Flexi-van info?

I'm wondering what the difference is between the Mark flexi-van flatcars.
Some one told me once that one of them had run-thru steam lines for passenger service'
but I can't find any info to support this. Also was there different lenght trailers for each?

Thinking about modeling several for the NYC or PC.

think i saw pics of some  behind the power on the atsf , SF Chief and on  nyc, if they are in that position , they would have to, iirc
 

SAL Flexi-Vans had steam and signal lines for passenger service.  They were listed in the Passenger Car register book of the time.

Didn't the "Q" have some and the "Wobbly" have one? I saw a pic of Flexi-Vans coupled to some  "Q" headend cars in Denver. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/20 23:26 by RRBaron.

denver

this is the  CZ, never saw these cars in a cz pic, got to denver so early , not many pics occur rolling into denver, so maybe they were not on it or maybe they were due to some unique occurence?  iirc???  At the time of the photo their was still a mail train to Denver perhaps missed it?

the DZ started bringing in some cars from alliance in mornings for a brief period as well i thought, picking them up in FMG or brush. wish Hol Wagner was on here...IIRC



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/20 09:35 by dan.

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Illinois Central had Flexi-van cars with steam and signal lines too.
And which mark the car was didn't determine if it had steam lines or not.

Santa Fe made its own mail container cars from baggage cars and they ran at the head end on mail trains and SF Chief.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Fabulous!!!!

Does anyone know for sure if that Q switcher is just drilling various cars or is that a real CZ consist including the heavyweight bag car (DRGW?)? Date?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/20 23:33 by RRBaron.

CZ or the Denver Zephyr?

The differences in the different Flexi-van cars were the lengths and turntables.  The Mark I and IIs had the turntables positioned so that they would be at the center of the trailer/container.  The Mark III and IV had the turntables moved to the ends of the car.  The Mark IV cars are a few feet longer than the Mark IIIs  (I think the IIIs were 85' and the IVs were 87'.)

The inclusion of steam lines was a railroad option based on the intended usage.  Some had them, some didn't.

Darin Umlauft
A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI

A fellow retiree emailed this photo to me the other day showing the Rock Island Flexi Vans
on the Des Moines Rocket around 1968 near Mokena Illinois.
These flats had the pass thru steam lines.
The trailers may have been carrying some processed beef or pork from Iowa.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

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Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A fellow retiree emailed this photo to me the
> other day showing the Rock Island Flexi Vans
> on the Des Moines Rocket around 1968 near Mokena
> Illinois.
> These flats had the pass thru steam lines.
> The trailers may have been carrying some processed
> beef or pork from Iowa.

Those are NOT Flexi's.They are TOFC trailer on flat car.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

wictl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The differences in the different Flexi-van cars
> were the lengths and turntables.  The Mark I and
> IIs had the turntables positioned so that they
> would be at the center of the trailer/container. 
> The Mark III and IV had the turntables moved to
> the ends of the car.  The Mark IV cars are a few
> feet longer than the Mark IIIs  (I think the IIIs
> were 85' and the IVs were 87'.)
>
> The inclusion of steam lines was a railroad option
> based on the intended usage.  Some had them, some
> didn't.
>
> Darin Umlauft
> A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI

Glad someone spoke up and said what they were.A lot
of usless talk about steam and air lines.
If I remember correctly,Mark III trucks were at the end of
the car while Mark IV were about four feet inboard.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

The picture has been posted many times.And yes
I have a picture of the CZ with a FV head out.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Santa Fe made its own mail container cars from
> baggage cars and they ran at the head end on mail
> trains and SF Chief.
They also had FV's with Rockwell trucks.

Uncle Joe

pt199 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm wondering what the difference is between the
> Mark flexi-van flatcars.
> Some one told me once that one of them had
> run-thru steam lines for passenger service'
> but I can't find any info to support this. Also
> was there different lenght trailers for each?
>
> Thinking about modeling several for the NYC or PC.
The NYC was the originator of the FV's.Good start.

Uncle Joe

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know for sure if that Q switcher is
> just drilling various cars or is that a real CZ
> consist including the heavyweight bag car (DRGW?)?
> Date?

Probably the CZ consist. After some other trains had been cancelled in the 60's the CZ started handling mail and express traffic between Chicago and Denver. Many times using heavyweight equipment.
Normally the extra headend cars came off with the Burlington motors during the power swap in Denver.
Since the Chicago to Denver part of the trip was mostly at night the addition of the heavyweight headend cars didn't spoil the looks of the train.

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know for sure if that Q switcher is
> just drilling various cars or is that a real CZ
> consist including the heavyweight bag car (DRGW?)?
> Date?

Can;t answer all the questions here, but the CZ regularly handled heavyweight cars between Omaha and Denver, according the Frailey's "Twilight of the Great Trains."  With the number of domes in the posted shot, I would say the train is the CZ.  Occasionally, the Q would add a flat top coach between Chicago and Denver, but I don't think any other switching was done, especially on the Rio Grande.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/20 19:46 by ntharalson.

pt199 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm wondering what the difference is between the
> Mark flexi-van flatcars.
> Some one told me once that one of them had
> run-thru steam lines for passenger service'
> but I can't find any info to support this. Also
> was there different lenght trailers for each?
>
> Thinking about modeling several for the NYC or PC.

The Santa Fe also had Mark IV Flexi Van's and both the home made and Flexis ran on trains 1/2.
Cheers
Charlie

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