how are these used?

[Anonymous]

I would like to know how railroads use the equipment I see written as (something like) impack/ends? I'm not sure I have seen them....are they used to transport semi-trailers? If so, are they still used, and how are they loaded/unloaded?

[Anonymous]

Impack cars are articulated flat cars used to transport trailers. They have a rigid main beam and horizontal fins to support the wheels of the trailers. The other end of the trailer is supported by a fixed trailer hitch type support. They are loaded by lifting the entire trailer and placing the trailer on the car. The ends have a truck and coupler on one end and a swivelling(sp?) connection at the other end. The interior parts just have the swivelling connections on each end. There is a truck under each swivel.

The cars are more efficient than an equal number of flat cars. They have only six trucks to support five trailers. They use less material to build and weigh less. In addition, since there are only two couplers for five trailers so there is significantly less slack in a train made from these or other multi-unit articulated cars than would be present in a train made from flat cars.

Athern(sp?) sells a model of this type car in two kits. The ends are sold as one kit, and the three interior 'bays' are sold as another kit. By combining the two kits you can make a single five unit articulated car or you can build the 'ends' kit a make a shorter version. I do not know if a two-unit version was ever built for a real railroad.

I hope this helps. - Ed