Builder: Conrad Schlenker
About New York Central Mk. III Flexi-Van by Conrad Schlenker
The Flexi-Van was first tested by the New York Central in 1957 as one of the original experiments in intermodal transportation. After several prototypes, the more commonly known Mk. III and Mk. IV chassis began to go into service beginning in the early 1960s. I chose to model the Mk. III variant as a Secret Santa gift for fellow builder friend Matt Csenge, and some of the photos submitted here were graciously provided by him as the car was not in my physical possession. Some features of the model include the 2 Flexi-Vans themselves (I modeled the versions without side doors), rotating bearing caps, brake rigging, and prototypical decal artwork. The model is also fully functional, and the 2 platforms that support the vans are able to rotate 90 degrees if needed to accurately model the transfer between train and truck. Both containers are also individually removable to facilitate the same purpose, but can also be properly secured for normal operations as well. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for your consideration.