COLTAINER CARS

Here are several photos I took earlier this year of an old Coltainer car. Actually, the car and the Coltainer containers were not originally used together; I believe the spine car was originally used to haul a different, though similar, type of open-top container that was double-stacked on the ends only. The Coltainer was originally developed by Norfolk Southern to carry coal shipments by either truck or train, hence the name. I have seen this set-up in the yard at least once more, several cars were in a train on one the tracks used for locals. I believe that these containers are now used to haul scrap steel, a use which has probably saved them from being scrapped themselves!