Hi all, I'm trying to locate a photograph of a GTW auto rack in the late 1960's - i.e., before fully-enclosed racks became standard. I've tried the GTW Historical Society and similarly-named web sites, rr-fallenflags, rrpicturearchives, and numerous Google searches - the only photos I can find are from 1990 and later.
The reason I'm asking is because I've seen that GTW was one of a very few railroads that had their own fleet of rack cars [at least during the later years], not just blue racks bolted onto Trailer-Train flatcars. I need to know if they were deployed both ways in the open-rack years like they were in more recent times; and if only one way, then which way?
A photo would be awesome, but an informed answer from somebody familiar with 1960s Michigan railroading will also suffice.
TIA
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
I am not real nimble at reading and interpreting an Official Railway Equipment Register, but my Jan. 1967 ORER does not show any GTW flatcars of a length to be autorack cars.
My 10/15/1994 ORER by contrast does show some GTW flats of the correct length in autorack service, some tri level fully enclosed, some with side screens but no roof. None listed as bi or tri level with no side screens etc. I realize that is beyond your parameter but seemingly a totally open car in 1994 would have been an old one.
I have already said more than I know. Sorry.
Dave Nelson
Thanks Dave, at least that seems to indicate that any racks with the GT logo on them in 1967 were probably bolted onto TTX flatcars.
I do remember seeing GT racks in one form or another when I was a kid, at the Lincoln-Mercury plant in Wixom, MI.