Blocking diagrams for TOFC?

[bsoplinger]

I have a few pdf pages of scans of blocking diagrams for farm tractors on flats.

I'm wondering if similar diagrams were made for tying down trailers on flats before the hitch was added to TOFC flats in the late 50's.

I have a few PRR F30's here I want to finish and I need to figure out how to attach a trailer. I put hitches on my later marked TTX ones, but I want the Pennsy ones to represent the earlier arrangement. I also have a few LV converted flats I want with tie downs as apposed to hitches.

I've looked at the PRR tructrain page at Keystone crossing, but its basically text describing the history, intersting, but not what I'm looking for.

[3rdrail]

You need the AAR Loading Manual for Open Top Cars from the mid-1950's. Alas, mine is dated 1933...too early. 

[keystonecrossings]

There is an issue of The Keystone from the PRRT&HS that has photos.

[bsoplinger]

3rdrail: Where does one get an 'AAR Loading Manual' and is that the correct name for it?

Jerry: Do you by any chance know what issue had those pictures?

[3rdrail]

I got a copy of the AAR Loading Manual for Open Top Cars from Dr. Richard Hendrickson a couple of years ago. He took orders at Prototype Rails and printed to order from his original. The only one he had was the 1933, but then he is the steam era freight car expert.

Seems to me there was an article in Model Railroader some years back about loading trailers on a PRR F30 flatcar that showed the chain arrangements. Check the mrmag index.

[bsoplinger]

I found a reference to

Piggy-Back in the Fifties: Triangular Tie-Downs
Model Railroading, June 1988 page 20

There are others articles in the 1988 year, all with Piggy-Back as part of the title, all 1 page.

By any chance can someone with the 1988 year of MR in their hands look to see if these are the articles that have the info I'm looking for?

[satokuma]

The July 2006 copy of RailModel Journal has an artical on TOFC Modeling and states "The now comon fold-down fifth-whell hitch had not yet been developed, a a vertical support was placed under the fift-wheel kinkpin. Tie-down rails were installed on the edges of the cars to which the railroand chained the trailers. Photo shows taht no less than eight tie-downs chains, four wheel chocks, and the fifth-wheel support were used to secure each trailer.(Trailer On Flat Car (TOFC) Modeling - Steve Orth - RailModel Jornal.
It looks like they still have back issues available from railmodeljournal.com. There are a lot of great picks, albeit all models.
 ;D
Home of the BearCat
Light at the End of the Tunnel
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/208
P&W OE District MP 32.1