Stac-Pac's

[RioGrandeRod]

Hi all,
 Would anyone be interested in a manufacturer doing Stac-Pac's?
 Not the flats, just the containers. They were used in the early to mid-70's for high-end autos.
 Lots of roads, UP, MILW, D&RGW, SP, SSW, ATSF, Merchants Dispatch, RI, BN, Oldsmobile, & (?).
 Here is a link: http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/flat/f070-62a.htm

 Thanks.
 Rod

[ChristianJDavis1]

That is quite an interesting prototype, which I would probably purchase. I believe that a manufacturer would make the entire car, though, but then again, I am not a manufacturer. Where those loaded in a similar fashion to the Vert-a-pack cars, or did they use ramps like modern-day Autorack cars?

[Dave Schneider]

Hi Rod,

Those are cool, and the Milwaukee Road had them, but they don't fit my part of the MR system. I am surprised how few replies you have gotten so far on this topic. What are your ties to the manufacturing process, if you don't mind me asking? Not trying to pry names out our you, just wondering whether this would be a cottage industry product or with one of the bigger players.

Best wishes, Dave

[wcfn100]

What are people going to do just the containers?  Nobody makes that flat and there are only so many storage sheds you can fit onto a layout. 

Jason

[C855B]

... I am surprised how few replies you have gotten so far on this topic. ...

I'm not. They're a fascinating prototype, but orphaned very quickly. Stac-Pacs lived from 1971 to 1978, and were SP-centric. Pretty much the same situation as the equally ill-fated Vert-a-Pac. Both were SP innovations that a handful of other roads later briefly tried and discarded ('75-'78). IIRC, the problem with their use in general is they required special load/unload facilities.

Basically, you would have to be a Southwest modeler targeting the mid-'70s for Stac-Pacs to make much sense. No Northeastern lines bought into the concept, which likely means there were no support terminals, which then means you didn't see them on eastern roads even in interchange (except possibly the Southern and FEC). I recall seeing quite a few of them at the local scrapyard (Mojave) once the program was terminated.

Like Jason said, you'd need the special flats, too, although I would suggest maybe a version to mate with the MTL 89-footer as "close enough".

[wcfn100]

Like Jason said, you'd need the special flats, too, although I would suggest maybe a version to mate with the MTL 89-footer as "close enough".

The BLMA flat would give you the closest look.


Jason

[milw156]

The BLMA flat would give you the closest look.


Jason

ya, but with the coupler draft gear laying on TOP of the deck, not below it!!!!!
Rick

[C855B]

The BLMA flat would give you the closest look.

Yes, agreed, but since it's going to be a foob anyway, "Go full foobie or go home," as someone around here says.

[wcfn100]

ya, but with the coupler draft gear laying on TOP of the deck, not below it!!!!!
Rick

Right, plus several other differences.  But the BLMA car has similar exposed underfloor bracing which is about the level I expect most people to care about.  If you put on 28" wheels and dropped the bolsters as far as possible, maybe you could get something close before the center sill bottoms out.

An interesting note on the Stat-Pac car is the air line going outside the trucks. I assume that's clearance issue due to the low deck, maybe Robb can chime in if I'm wrong.


Jason

[RioGrandeRod]

Doing the Stac-Pac's alone would be fairly inexpensive. Tooling a new flatcar would not, unless there were other uses for it. This is still in the "initial enquiry" stage, so any input is and will be welcomed. If it does not look feasible to do commercially, scratch-building should be fairly simple as well as kit-bashing BLMA flats.

The 1:1 scale autos needed a special loading device and then were loaded on to the flats with a modified piggy-packer. The wide use of enclosed auto-racks doomed the Stac-Pac's.

Thanks.

[Philip H]

Just like i bought a set of NZT PRR containers because they were cool, I'd be in for a set or two of these.  Rust the snot out of them, put them on an old well weathered ConCor flat at the back of the deadline.  Done and Done.   

[ArtinCA]

Just like i bought a set of NZT PRR containers because they were cool, I'd be in for a set or two of these.  Rust the snot out of them, put them on an old well weathered ConCor flat at the back of the deadline.  Done and Done.   

Usually they were just dropped on the ground and used for storage. There were a couple in Bakersfield's UP yard that were there for that.

[PGE-N°2]

Hi Rod,

Those are cool, and the Milwaukee Road had them, but they don't fit my part of the MR system. I am surprised how few replies you have gotten so far on this topic. What are your ties to the manufacturing process, if you don't mind me asking? Not trying to pry names out our you, just wondering whether this would be a cottage industry product or with one of the bigger players.

Best wishes, Dave

Alright, then if the Milwaukee had them, I'd definitely be interested, too.

[Dave Schneider]

Alright, then if the Milwaukee had them, I'd definitely be interested, too.

Mix and match!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7719124998_650a2baee8_o.jpg

eBay slide:
http://tinyurl.com/oyqjouk

Best wishes, Dave

[PGE-N°2]

Mix and match!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7719124998_650a2baee8_o.jpg

eBay slide:
http://tinyurl.com/oyqjouk

Best wishes, Dave

If somebody did make a run of these, it would be a really good way of getting a bunch of extra road names onto a train without specifically having to be a modeller of each of those roadnames.

These look like they were another precursor to the container revolution.