| Rock Island Railroad 9596 at Blue Island, Illinois on July 12, 1982, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. This car was stenciled: BLT. 10-56. The following is from the book, Rock Island Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, by Messrs. Hile, Hickcox and Miller: RI LF series 1 - 50 - In 1956 ACF delivered 50 experimental container flat cars known as Adapto cars to the Rock Island. The cars were 41' 4" coupled ( stenciled 38' - 0" ) and could carry two 17' containers. The Adapto cars rode on two single-axle fixed trucks with a unique automotive type suspension with torsion springs and Monroe stabilizers. Despite the considerable fanfare and publicity, no other railroad adopted the Adapto car concept and by the late 1960's the Rock Island phased them out except for company service. When the Rock Island took delivery of the 50 Adapto cars in 1956, ACF also provided a variety of modular containers to attach to the cars with a unique Christmas tree-shaped load restraint device provided by Clark. Dubbed "Convert-a-Frate" by the Rock Island, they were an early form of COFC or containers on flat car. |