and the transportation sector had to make adjustments to accommodate the increasing demand for shipping. Nowhere was this more evident in the US automobile industry as Americans flush with cash purchased new cars as a symbol of their place in the burgeoning middle class.
The increased demand for automobiles around the country meant that packing more cars into rail cars became of paramount importance. Exiting boxcars were modified with wider doors, longer cars, and other similar adjustments. It wasn't enough to keep up with demand, however, and new railcars needed to be constructed to keep pace with the automobiles rolling off the assembly lines.
One of the more concerning issues with these railcars, however, was theft, vandalism, and incidental damage. Several innovations were introduced to try and address this problem, but the solution that General Motors and Southern Pacific Railroad came up within the late 1960s was a sight to behold.