Rail cars

My brother (a train aficionado) sent me this link:

Vert-A-Pac

Thought y'all would appreciate this! Any other interesting/alternative ways to transport vehicles?

I don't even need to look to know what Vert-A-Pak is.

Made specifically for the Vega. Oil was not put in until after it was unloaded.

there was a car, I forget who made it, but Porsche helped design it. The front Clip unbolted completely so that it could be loaded onto a train in a very similar manner

I read Vert-A-Pac and got the willies! Mainly do to the fact that I have been fighting with two generators at work that are called vert-a-pacs as well. They are Audi/VW 5 or 6-cylider diesel engine mounted with the front of the engine facing the sky, and the flywheel end driving a generator. They are absolute nightmares, and I spent 14 hours on Thursday, and another 12 on Friday overhauling them. Still not sure they are any better off than when we started.

This type of vert-a-pac is much cooler, and won't keep me up at night.

That is weird. It seems like it would increase the likely hood of body damage and/or other issues being up-ended like that. Strange.

I thought the Vega had the oil pan baffles and crank ventilation set up so they could be shipped like that ready to go?

This story says the Vegas were filled with fluids and were supposedly ready to drive once unloaded from the Vert-A-Pack car.

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/12/vert-pac-unusual-way-to-transport.html?m=1

Amusing Planet wrote: Chevrolet's goal was to deliver Vegas topped with fluids and ready to drive to the dealership. In order to be able to travel nose-down without leaking fluids all over the railroad, Vega engineers had to design a special engine oil baffle to prevent oil from entering the No. 1 cylinder, batteries had filler caps located high up on the rear edge of the case to prevent acid spilling, the carburetor float bowl had a special tube that drained gasoline into the vapor canister during shipment, and the windshield washer bottle stood at a 45 degree angle. Plastic spacers were wedged in beside the powertrain to prevent damage to engine and transmission mounts. The wedges were removed when cars were unloaded.

And as one commentator said, the Vega STILL had front oil seal leakage issues in spite of the special baffle.

Nowadays, passenger cars in North America are carried in autoracks with perforated panels to guard against vandalism and foreign object damage.

I heard it didn't matter what they did to the Vegas since they were just going to fall apart anyway. They would have saved a lot of trouble if they shipped them engineless with a V8 kit and a set of sidepipes in the trunk,

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

Ahh yes, I was incorrect. I was thinking of something else. Probably something Russian or East German.

I don't believe all Vegas were vert-a-packed though. I think there was an RPO that noted the special parts they needed.

Rats, I thought it was going to be about one of these.

lot of unused rails around here.. that would be fun

914Driver wrote: Rats, I thought it was going to be about one of these.

Ooooo! That DOES look like fun! Yours? Details (and a video or two) please!