Autorack info

[NW Mailing List]

James Wall asked:
> Can anyone provide information on this autorack?
>  http://nwhs.org/mailinglist/2014/20140914.nw400000ads.jpg

First, proper credit for the photo needs to go to Dennis Schmidt who
contriubed his photo to the Fallen Flags website:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nw/nw400000ads.jpg

This can was a single prototype "SnaPak" car - basically, an early
test of a fully enclosed autorack.It was developed jointly by Ford,
autorack manufacturer Whitehead & Kales, N&W, DT&I, L&N, SCL and UP.
(Why only N&W and DT&I got their logos applied I don't know.) Built
April 1973, lasted under the same number until lasted 1983.
Subsequent production cars were called "Safe-Pak" instead.

The Morning Sun book "Wabash/Nickel Plate/DT&I Color Guide to Freight and
Passenger Equipment" by James Kinkaid has a better, more side-on photo of
the same car, and is from where I borrowed the above informtion. This book
is still available from the NWHS Commisarry:
   http://www.nwhs.org/commissary/Books-Others.html 
(3rd book up from the bottom of the page)

Joe Shaw
Christiansburg, VA
http://www.krunk.org/