What IS this? Dare you to model it!

[Alaska Railroader]

What were they thinking????
Anyone know more about this? The cars look like they are Vegas, nooo not a Vega!

[up1950s]

Vertipac auto car IIRC . Evolution sometimes is more error than trial .

[Alaska Railroader]

Vertipac auto car IIRC . Evolution sometimes is more error than trial .

Ah, thank you. Seems too crazy for anyone to have ever followed that idea with money to build the things. I found another photo.

[peteski]

Karin,
Google for vert-a-pac .

Here is an excerpt from http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1660504

What is the "Vert-a-pact" option (VK5)?
In short, it added parts to the cars so they could be shipped, by rail, packed vertically, to save space.
Ken (mahoy78spyder) researched this too: "...now that you know what "Vert-a-pac" is, I'll bet you're wondering why you would have an RPO for that if it only meant that it would be shipped differently. Well, the vert-a-pac rail cars required that the cars be able to be driven on and driven off with no mechanical work needed. This drive-on/drive-off requirement was difficult to meet because all liquids had to be aboard, so the VK5 RPO was created. Modifications included:
- a baffle in the oil pan to prevent flooding the forward cylinders with oil. - off-center filler caps on the battery. - a plug in the fuel-tank vent line. - an overflow hose from the float bowl to the charcoal canister. - tilting the windshield-washer bottle 45 degrees. - plastic spacers between the splash pans and the engine to reinforce the motor mounts.
Also, since you're from Oregon, your VK5 RPO would make sense as this option was only for "west coast-bound" cars in an effort to reduce shipping costs. A conventional rack rail car would hold only 18 cars (in the open), but a Vert-a-pac would hold 30 (under roof)."

[Alaska Railroader]

I bought my Vega used in Alaska many moons ago. No wonder it was a lemon, it got hung up!

[robert3985]

What were they thinking????
Anyone know more about this? The cars look like they are Vegas, nooo not a Vega!

Look!  There's a dead guy in the first car hanging out the window! 

[LV LOU]

 From what I know,GM got 8 or so more cars in there stacking them like that.It cost something like $3000.00 per load for the freightcar,and GM wanted desperately to keep the cost of the Vega and Pontiac Sunbird as far under $2000.00 as possible,so,this was one of their solutions.I crack up today thinking of those cars.I remember an article in Car Craft Magazine I read in high school,calling the motor in the Vega a"Retiring engine builder's last masterpiece.." Must have been Van Gogh...Those cars smoked so bad,I'm surprised mosquitos managed a comeback..

[robert3985]

From what I know,GM got 8 or so more cars in there stacking them like that.It cost something like $3000.00 per load for the freightcar,and GM wanted desperately to keep the cost of the Vega and Pontiac Sunbird as far under $2000.00 as possible,so,this was one of their solutions.I crack up today thinking of those cars.I remember an article in Car Craft Magazine I read in high school,calling the motor in the Vega a"Retiring engine builder's last masterpiece.." Must have been Van Gogh...Those cars smoked so bad,I'm surprised mosquitos managed a comeback..

It was the incorrect aluminum alloy GM used for the unlined engine block that caused the problems.  Chevy sorta made up for the bad Vegas by producing the Cosworth Vega, a really superior handling car with an engine breathed upon by Cosworth in England.  I remember coveting 'em badly...

[Chris333]

Vega's used to be made a few miles from me in Lordstown, OH, but I do not know if they made the Vert-a-pac versions there or not.

Edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega

[Hyperion]

Well... if you wanna dare me...



A fairly rare prototype, yet there is an existing N-scale model of the car from ExactRail.  It was actually their first offering to the N-scale market.

[peteski]

Mark,
I wonder if your inclusion of that N scale model (back from 2009 - wow!) will prevent this thread from being moved to another section of the forum. 

Speaking of GM and problems they had with aluminum blocks, the HT4100 V8 engine they used in the early 80s Cadillacs had some serious problems with the block porosity and head gasket leaks. That allowed the coolant to leak internally and mix with the engine oil!  Not a good combination for the longevity of that engine. 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Christ almighty I never even thought about vehicle fluids. I always thought they shipped dry. That is a lot of engineering for a dopey car and an inane shipping method.

Also, looking at the photo:
Car containers! Who knew?
Its nice that the SP was a firm believer in suicide lifts. Man those outboard lift arms creep me out. As an added bonus, you'll get killed by the exploding hydraulics long before the failing lift arm severs your extremities.

Ah, thank you. Seems too crazy for anyone to have ever followed that idea with money to build the things. I found another photo.

[Lemosteam]

Dig those modular containers behind the loader- looks like impalas or caprices inside!  What did they load those onto?

[sizemore]

Dig those modular containers behind the loader- looks like impalas or caprices inside!  What did they load those onto?

The cars behind the Vert-A-Pac

The S.

[Lemosteam]

Oh thanks!  I thought those were all vertipacks, but I see the contour differnce now that you point it out.  TOFC flat under those?