Railroads: A Going Thing

U.S. railroads first turned to piggy backing as a desperate way to fight off the truckers. For a long time, piggy backing — the hauling of loaded trailers or new automobiles aboard specially equipped flatcars — was a jerry-built, poor-mouth operation. No more. Business has more than tripled since 1956, and this year is running 16% ahead of last. Piggybacking now accounts for 3% of all loadings on U.S. railroads — and, more significantly, contributes 5% of revenues. With the help of such new equipment as triple-deck cars that carry 18 new automobiles, railroads are recovering much of the...