geysergazer posted:Ya, Railbox was a way to get around old ICC regulations that said once empty a car had to be returned [empty] to it's ownership railroad. By pooling ownership each car when empty was simply sent on to the nearest customer with a load, a lot more efficient with a lot less empty car-miles.
Lew
Lew, I'm not sure that was an ICC regulation. Per diem rules are the incentive to get foreign cars off a railroad. The local freight agent would accept loaded cars going over or towards the owning railroad. Assigned boxcars were an exception. Automobile manufacturers reached an agreement with the railroads that loaded cars could move in any direction. The pool of cars assigned to an assembly plant was negotiated each year. John in Lansing, ILL
