[Original Message]
From: Tony Thompson <thompsonmarytony@...>
To: <STMFC@...>
Date: 11/12/2005 10:33:09 AM
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Early TOFC

Rich Chapin wrote:

"Early" is one of those relative terms. July 1954 is a key date (but
late for the steam era), when six roads (LV, PRR, Erie, B&O, Wabash,
NKP) started. The DL&W had started in June 1954. By the end of 54 more
roads had joined in. The New Haven stated in the early 1930's and was
handling 50,000 trailers a year by the mid-50s . . .

Interesting data. The SP began piggyback in May of 1953 and by
the mid-1950s, was acclaimed by _Trains_ magazine as the "piggyback
champ" due to its traffic volume.
For a whole lot more on this topic, I really recommend David
DeBoer's book, _Piggyback and Containers_ from Golden West Books.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history