Re: PC: "Flex-Van" trademark

[Stephen Vargo <anthrax2525@xxxxxxxxx>]

Flexi-Van was originally used by New York Central for their specialized container service. The container itself formed the truck body, and the only "trailer" was a detachable axle set. The containers were loaded on special skeleton flats which had a small turnable unit at each end, the container being latched onto the turntable, axles removed, and then swung 90 degrees to lock on the car. The Central was really the only user, (aside from the verge-of-merger Pennsy, who took on a token number of flats and vans) and 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, but looked like a van trailer without an underframe.

 If I remember right, they were mostly used for quickie, low volume/weight freight like mail. Anyone out there want to weigh in on this?
 The system itself was nice and kept vehicle weight in both regimes down, but was just too specialized and finicky for broad acceptance.

 

 Flexi seems like an NYC marketing prefix for fast special service (re: Flexi-Flo bulk covered hopper service), and I'd guess fell out of favor after Penn Central washed it's hands of it. In any event, the fact that it's used by a container/carrier trailer/tralier service is pretty fitting when you look at it.

 

 And as a note, Clyde Engineering, Ltd. was EMD's partner in Australia. The Aussies got the fine old bulldog nose on a new, unique carbody. At first sight, I thought they were using E's and F's too...

 

Jerry Jordak <jer -AT- smellycat.com> wrote:

> * Assuming Penn Central trademarked the name, they held onto it long enough 
> to sell it to someone else after they got out of the railroad business, or
>
> * PC either never had it trademarked (or if they did, they let it lapse) 
> and someone else came up with the name, saw it wasn't in use, and used it.
>
>
> What's even more interesting is that while looking around that site, at 
> first glance, I thought VR was running Erie F-units:
>
> -JWJ

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