Thrall 20-2 Autorack

Prototype Information

Thrall developed these cars starting in 1990 because Chrysler could only fit minivans on the top deck of standard 19-foot racks. By increasing the height to 20 feet and 2 inches—matching the height of high-cube double-stack container trains—the 20-2 allowed Chrysler to load minivans on all three decks. This change drastically increased the number of vehicles each train could carry.

Railroads like Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern primarily used these specialized racks to serve Chrysler assembly plants. While they offered huge capacity, their extreme height limited them to specific routes with high clearance. Because they were so specialized, many were eventually converted back to standard heights after 2003 when shipping needs changed.