Very nice work!
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Back to the question of methods used in securing vehicles on flat cars. On YouTube, ‘Panzer Archeology’ just published a video on Tank Logistics, that includes many period photos showing panzers on flatcars. All of them looked to be held in place by chocks (only). No indication of chains, ropes or straps being used.
Very cool little dio. And splitting the car - what a great idea.
The drinking straw idea is good, for rounded gutters. For more of a square profile all you need is a long piece of brass shim from Hobby Lobby. Cut off a strip about 12 mm wide.
Make two bends at 4mm and 8mm mark using the long part of the PE bender. Done.
You can even add a lip to it. Obviously, imagine it’s much longer.
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Interesting! In the top photo, the halftrack has what looks like (thin) chains on it; and in the last photo, all the trucks have chains tying them down at the wheel hubs. everything else is just chock blocks. Lots of variety.
Ken
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Also, in the top photo, if you enlarge it you can see what looks like chain or wire running to the rear of the jeeps and the truck wheels. On the rear jeep it looks like they put a board thru to twist and tighten it. Wayne
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Yeah, I was wondering if Gino was talking about different photos than what I was seeing. They all have tie downs - Jeeps, trucks, half tracks… Bottom photo as well if you look closely.
Thanks for confirming I’m not quite yet ready to be spoon fed.
Ditto for the half track.
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The wheels seem to be in cradles (planks on all four sides of all wheels/bogies).
The pictures of German trains seem to use the same method.
I doubt that the light chains they were using would do much good if the train went into emergency braking but they were not travelling so fast back in those days …
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I didn’t blow them up and, on my monitor, the smallish pics don’t look like they have anything tying them down. I agree w/Uncle-Heavy though. I don’t think those small chains/straps would stop any of the vehicles from moving under strain.
They’re not meant to. A good enough sideways jolt will knock those 4x4s over. We used to send vehicles through the zone from Berlin in a similar fashion. Those long spike nails were not easy to drive in, and not much of them actually went into the wooden deck. The lashings prevent side to side motion. Anyone who’s ever ridden on DR rails can attest to the fact it’s a bumpy ride, with lots of lateral jiggling.
I might add - I delivered motorcycles for Indian for several years until they changed insurance. Bikes are tethered in a very similar fashion for the same reason.
Last summer on the way to Montana there were three very expensive bikes in this trailer when it came free from the truck. Not a scratch. Any lateral movement would have caused several hundred dollars worth of damage, if not thousands.
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Wonderful work. 
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