Re: PC: "Flex-Van" trademark

[Roger Hensley <hensley6@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 10:29 AM 5/29/04, you wrote:
 > The Central was really the only user,

Of course they were. It was their system. It was developed to allow one man 
to help load a trailer and take it to a rail site and load it to the 
flatcar and use the reverse method to deliver it.

 > Penn Central didn't take long to dispose of the gear,
 > seeing as how the flats were exclusive to this system,
 > and the containers weren't the ISO type used today,

How about, it was because the Pennsy didn't invent it? Since the Central 
had just developed it, it had to go. It hadn't developed far enough to 
stand alone.

 > If I remember right, they were mostly used for quickie,
 > low volume/weight freight like mail.

How about, all of that l-c-l freight that was leaving the rails and moving 
to trucks. That's what it was aimed at. Bring it back to the rails by going 
from pick up to delivery.

 > The system itself was nice and kept vehicle weight in
 > both regimes down, but was just too specialized and
 > finicky for broad acceptance.

It wasn't intended for broad acceptance. It was intended to give the 
Central an edge with their customers. And I never heard that it was 
finicky. :-)


Roger Hensley  kc9eji

== Central Indiana Division, NMRA -- http://cid.railfan.net ==
== Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net ==