Good morning,
One month into my two-month lay-off and am finally looking at train projects.
REX 3400-3440 (23 cars) 
Not sure how I missed these until now, but I guess I have been focused on the flexi-van cars and trailer traffic. But from 1962 until about 1970 (when the cars were sold to Soo line), Railway Express Agency (REA) ran these cars in container service on Chicago - NYC, and NYC - Detroit New York Central passenger and fast mail trains like number 13 and the Empire State Express (50). Looking through the 1966 and 1968 passenger car consists on Terry Link’s CASO web site, about one car is seen at the front end in consists of flexi-vans about 5 days a week, usually on train 50 westbound, and 13 eastbound.
These cars were done by Walthers in HO scale, and N scale G85 flat cars are made by both Trainworx and Con-Cor. However, there are details for this version not shown on either model, so I plan to bash an undec Atlas trash container flat I have on hand. The unique container braces and side details, along with the decking will all be bashed.
The 20’ containers are also unique with an access door on one side. And a great logo for “Unit-Haul”. I know that REA was also experimenting with 5’ and 10’ containers on similar flat cars, but have not seen evidence of them in this service. The Stricktainers were fitted for Strickland rather than Clejan style bogies and a 5000’ loaded container could apparently be pushed by a single man on or off the car.
Has anyone noticed these cars traveling further west than Chicago or on any other railroads?
I’ll post some pictures when I get this thing a little further past the design stage.
Best regards,
Michael
