I don't quite agree with flyboy559, when he writes, in part
TOFC became quite common during the transition era ... <snippage> ...
. I have seen the pictures he refers to of piggyback behind SP steam, and I remember pictures in one of the Model Railroad magazines (Model Railroader, maybe) of piggyback cars behind a NKP Berkshire. But those are the only two pictures I remember seeing, ever, of piggyback cars behind steam. And the photo of the Berkshire trailing piggyback cars was accompanied by text indicating that it happened, but that it was not especially common. Besides the pictures I've seen the most likely candidate for a road that might have run piggyback cars behind steam is the N&W. Otherwise, most of the railroads still running steam in the early piggyback era would likely have relegated the steam to lines which were unlikely to host piggyback service.
As to track plans, during the early days, piggyback service was not nearly as centralized as it is today. Any town with a station large enough to have a locally assigned switcher had a piggyback ramp. This was sometimes built on the site of the former team track in the location, which if need be, was moved to a different site. Facilities consisted of a simple ramp, sometimes constructed by removing one truck from a surplus flat car, but other times, of simple earthen construction, with an end framed with timbers, and with or without timber framed sides. A local cartage or drayage company was usually contracted to load and unload trailers from the car by hooking them up to a tractor, and backing them up the ramp onto the cars, and down the length, loading from the far end first. Side and straddle loading equipment is nearly as old as piggyback service itself, but was confined to major terminals. On the Illinois division of the old Rock Island, there were piggyback ramps at Seneca, Morris, and one between Bureau Junction and Silvis. Silvis and RI 12th Street (Chicago) had both ramps for circus style loading, and for straddle loading. Within a few years (perhaps a decade) after introduction, it was decided that it was more efficient, cost effective, and faster to haul trailers to major terminals over the road, and concentrate loading there, with better and bigger trailer handling facilities, and de-emphasize the smaller loading points.
In the earliest days of piggyback service trailers were much more thoroughly secured than later, with tie down chains front, rear, and sides. It was discovered fairly early on, though, that they did not need the tie down chains, and they were dispensed with.
ns
