Flexi-Van cars: Mark I vs. Mark II

[Point353]

A photo of a model of a Milwaukee Road Flex-Van car, posted in the Weekend Update for 6/11/17, has caused me question the accuracy of most of the information that seems to be available about this type of car. The model has a roadnumber in the series for a Mark I type car and is shown carrying one 36’ van and one 40’ van.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=42138.0

My understanding has been that the shorter Mark I cars could only hold a pair of 36’ vans, whereas the longer Mark II car could hold either one 36’ van and one 40’ van (or a pair of 36-footers).  Not relevant to this immediate discussion, but the even longer Mark III and IV cars could hold any combination of 36’ and 40’ vans.

The information in the following links, including some posts by certain members of this forum, seems to confirm this situation:

 
https://web.archive.org/web/20050828203447/http://members.surfbest.net/intermodal@surfbest.net/FLEXIVAN.HTM

http://web.archive.org/web/20160811040029/http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/reviews/cm_extra_walthers_flexivan.php

http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/flexivan_soon.html

http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/flexivan.html

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/nskflexi.html

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31898.30


However, when this info was brought to the attention of the model builder, his reply was that an article by Richard Yarenko in volume 31 of the Freight Car Journal was used as a reference:

http://dgcasdor.ipower.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/fcj_31.pdf

Indeed, it is clearly stated in the article on page 13 that “the Mark I flat is 80’-1” long and accommodates either two 36 foot vans or one 36 foot and one 40 foot van. The Mark II, with its 85’ length, can accommodate two 40 foot vans.”

The question, then, is whether or not this article in FCJ is correct and all the other sources of info appear to have it wrong? 
Does anyone have any other sources of info on the Flexi-Van cars that might help to resolve this discrepancy?

[Sokramiketes]

I think the NYC guys might call Mark I and II different from the Milwaukee Road guys.  NYC may have had cars that only fit two 36' vans, and therefore started their Marks at that car.  Milwaukee Road's first cars in 1959 held one 36' and one 40', and were Mark I.

If it helps I built the master for the kit and thought it was a Mark I in my head...

There is much in the history of Flexi-Vans to be sorted out still.

[learmoia]

@Sokramiketes

I've been chatting with Pete at N scale Kits, about the Mark 1 vs Mark 2, and trying to verify which car he was selling, that you mastered.

I am planning to put in a sizable order to build out a fleet of Mark IIs to fit in with my IIIs and IVs.. but we were running into some debate about what a Mark II could handle, and what they were selling.

Based on the previous discussion, I sounds like NYC and MILW were on the same page with Mark #s.

Mark I can carry (2) 36' trailers, or up to (1) 40' and (1) 36'
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Rebuilt Mark II (rebuilt from Mark I) can carry any combination of 36/40 up to 2 40' (2 small with reefers)
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Factory Mark II are slightly shorter and can carry (2) 40' (1 reefers)
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Mark III starts End loading, and can carry (2) 40' with reefer.
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And Mark 5 has extended room for reefer trailers.
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Mark IV End Loads and can carry (2) 40' reefers

[Sokramiketes]

The N Scale Kits car is set up for one 36' and one 40' van. 

Can you jam two 40' vans on it?  Barely.  The master was built for ~3% shrinkage, IIRC, but it didn't shrink quite that much.  At least not on the castings I received from Alan Curtis.  Not sure what the most recent iterations measure out to.