1974 intermodal... is this what I am seeing?

[sirenwerks]

Spied this pic of a TTX F30D class flat in the BN yard in Butte MT 1974, with a fairly new trailer on it.  I know from the mudflaps this is a XTRA trailer, but the abbreviation on the side of the trailer, IMO, does not look like XTRA, more like HELX, or something like that.  Can anyone tell help me confirm, deny...?  Am I seeing things, doe I lack the right decoder ring...?  I know I have to have a model of that car and trailer, so I want to do it justice.

[nkalanaga]

It looks like they're the same company!

HELX       *HELM FINANCIAL CORP. (HELM EQUIPMENT LEASING CORPORATION)
HELX      +FIRST UNION RAIL (Current owner of marks)

XTRA      *FIRST UNION RAIL
XTRA      *XTRA, INC.

http://www.pwrr.org/rrm/index.html

[Mark5]

That's not an easy one - looks like XELZ to me:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

XELZ      XTRA INC.

http://www.pwrr.org/rrm/rrmx.html

[sirenwerks]

That's not an easy one - looks like XELZ to me:
(Attachment Link)

XELZ      XTRA INC.

http://www.pwrr.org/rrm/rrmx.html

Winner, winner... Thanks, Mark!

[jargonlet]

Looks like a ABBA set of gp30 there too.

[garethashenden]

What's the best starting point to model this and when was the prototype built?

[C855B]

Looks like a ABBA set of gp30 there too.

SD40-GP30B-GP30B-GP30, FBBB. 

[nkalanaga]

And MILW chip cars.  Not unheard of, but a little unusual to see chip cars off their home road.  Especially since Butte doesn't have a paper mill, and, as far as I know, didn't have a sawmill in 1974.

Deer Lodge had a sawmill, and Missoula a paper mill, but Butte is the wrong direction for that, and I would think the MILW would keep the cars at least as far as Missoula, even if the paper mill was served by BN.  Or interchange the cars in Deer Lodge.

[sirenwerks]

What's the best starting point to model this and when was the prototype built?

I am thinking Athearn trailer and N Scale Kits kit # NS051.

[samusi01]

I don't have any later information than '68 (on the road) but by '69 XTRA had, to some degree, followed what REA had done in allotting reporting marks based on lessees reporting marks (e.g., REAZ, RELZ, RGNZ, etc.). A couple of years ago on a different forum I noted that XTRA had assigned XGMZ to GM&O; logically, it follows that this may have been expanded as necessary.

Sam

[sirenwerks]

I don't have any later information than '68 (on the road) but by '69 XTRA had, to some degree, followed what REA had done in allotting reporting marks based on lessees reporting marks (e.g., REAZ, RELZ, RGNZ, etc.). A couple of years ago on a different forum I noted that XTRA had assigned XGMZ to GM&O; logically, it follows that this may have been expanded as necessary.

Sam

Interesting.  I wonder if XELZ is for the Erie Lackawanna?

[Mark5]

Interesting.  I wonder if XELZ is for the Erie Lackawanna?

Almost certainly. My books are packed up currently, but I do have a digital image of a Lehigh Valley version of that trailer, with reporting marks XLVZ. It is decorated in the same manner as the trailer above. No LV logo on the side, but oddly (in terms of visibility) - it has a LV logo on the front of the trailer.

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  I think your picture expired!  It no longer shows, after working fine earlier.

I checked the source code, found the image file name, pasted it into my browser, and got "URL expired".

[Mark5]

Sirenwerks:  I think your picture expired!  It no longer shows, after working fine earlier.

I checked the source code, found the image file name, pasted it into my browser, and got "URL expired".

Looks fine here in Baltimore (at home).

UPDATE Now at office, and can't see the pic.  Home is Firefox on Verizon Fios, work is Chrome on Comcast. Fascinating.


In any case, the photo can be seen here: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/795339

[cv_acr]

It looks like they're the same company!

HELX       *HELM FINANCIAL CORP. (HELM EQUIPMENT LEASING CORPORATION)
HELX      +FIRST UNION RAIL (Current owner of marks)

XTRA      *FIRST UNION RAIL
XTRA      *XTRA, INC.

http://www.pwrr.org/rrm/index.html

Not in '74 they weren't. Different mergers brought them together.