Conrail (and other railroads) mounted pre-fabricated “vans” on flat cars to house tack workers. Several common styles of van were built to serve the various needs of the work crews. Sleeping quarters were most common, but office and dining configurations were common sights in most work trains. These “Camp Trains” were common sights on Conrail and still on Norfolk Southern.

Rapido’s camp cars are available in four different body styles: sleeper, diner, kitchen and office. In addition to vans mounted on F30A flat cars Rapido Trains Inc. offer each style van separately. They are per­fect offices for yards, engine terminals, construction sites, in fact all sorts of applications! Separate vans are painted in appropriate colors but are unlettered.

Conrail F30A MOW Flat Car with Deck Rails

MOW Camp Trailer

Rapido’s F30 Camp Cars Feature

• All-new camp trailer loads in four styles

• End railings and platforms

• Photetched details

• Multiple car numbers per scheme

The Pennsylvania Railroad’s class F30A flat cars were one of the most numer­ous classes of flat cars on that railroad with 1500 being built between 1933 and 1934. The cars were so successful that the PRR built another 250 nearly identi­cal copies in 1951, classified as F30D.

Starting in 1954, the Pennsy converted many F30D flat cars into early piggyback service cars. These cars received perforated side rub rails, end loading ramps, and four side posts.

Eighty-six cars were transferred to the new Trailer Train Company (TTX) be­tween 1957 and 1958. These received additional upgrades in the form of ACF trailer hitches, revised side rails, and upgraded end ramps. The TTX cars also received roller bearing conversions on their trucks. These cars were used by TTX into the 1980s, many being upgraded with full roller bearing trucks and some even painted in TTX’s yellow scheme.

The PRR utilized a massive one-piece steel casting for these F30 flat cars, and that sturdy construction meant that many have lasted an incredibly long time. In fact, several ex-TTX cars were purchased by BN and converted to crosstie-cars, with most still in service with BNSF today!

In this release Rapido Trains Inc. offer the F30 in several flavors: general service flat cars, piggy­back flats with appropriate trailers, BNSF crosstie cars, and Conrail camp train work flats, complete with camp trailers!

All of Rapido’s F30 Flat Cars Feature:

• Die-cast chassis and deck for optimum weight

• Correct trucks (PRR 2E-F10, roller bearing converted or full roller bearing trucks)

• Turned metal wheels

• Rapido’s semi-scale couplers

• Full brake rigging

• Seperate grab irons