DECALS, 50' TOFC FLAT CARS 60060 to 60076

These decals are for TOFC flat cars 60060 to 60076. They are part of the TOFC flat car series that ultimately expanded to include cars GN 60060 to 60344 all of which were 53’ 6” long over the sills built by Pacific Car and Foundry (PC&F) in 1954 as plain flat cars 65500 to 65599 and 65600 to 65699. Cars 60060 to 60076, were converted to Trailer on Flat Car service by adding tie down equipment and rub rails attached to the original stake pockets in 1954. 

There is some evidence that cars 60060 to 60076 came from PC&F in 1954 set up for TOFC service.

Capacity of PC&F cars was 100,000 pounds. All were equipped with friction bearing trucks and were set up to handle two 24 foot single axle trailers or one dual axle 40 foot trailer.

The good thing about these cars is that they were a low cost, low risk way to enter the TOFC business. The bad thing was that the tare weight was very high for the carrying capacity.

As of July 1, 1956 the nominal 50 foot cars were:

60045 to 60057 52-0 long 140,000 pound capacity  13 cars

60060 to 60096 53-6 long 100,000 pound capacity  37 cars

60200 to 60234 53-6 long 100,000 pound capacity  35 cars      

                                                                           TOTAL  85 CARS

As of July 1, 1965 the nominal 50 foot cars were:

60060 to 60096 53-6 long 100,000 pound capacity   37 cars

60200 to 60344 53-6 long 100,000 pound capacity 144 cars

                                                                      TOTAL  181 cars

The ACF retractable hitch was introduced in 1955, which saved much labor in loading and unloading TOFC cars. We can not determine when the GN adopted the ACF hitch for original conversion to TOFC service or for retrofit of existing TOFC cars.  

Body color of cars converted in 1954 was mineral red. Body color of cars converted in 1956 and after was vermilion. Cars with the retractable hitch were painted vermilion red.

Use Chad Boas 65500 series cars as starting point to kitbash these cars.

In 1960, Great Northern bought 10 roller bearing truck TOFC cars 85 feet long from ACF that could carry two 40 foot trailers, reducing the tare to payload ratio.

GN joined Trailer Train Corporation in 1960 which gave GN access to the TTX fleet of 85, and soon to be 89 foot flat cars, that would dominate TOFC traffic for 60 years, and probably beyond.

In 1968, Great Northern bought its last TOFC cars, 61525 to 61534, which were 89 feet long, from ACF.

See:

RS 81 Great Northern Piggyback Operations, 1954-1970.

Cars GN 60060 to 60299, 1968 Freight Car Diagram Book

Scott R. Thompson, Great Northern Equipment Color Pictorial Book 2 pages 114-115.