In the early 1980s, Southern Railway - among others such as ATSF and CNW - came up with a plan to deal with the inability of most flatcars in piggyback service to handle the newly legal nationwide 45' long trailer. Existing 89' flats could handle one 45' trailer, but not two unless modifications were made to the hitch placement and type. This plan also addressed the glut of aging 50' boxcars. The process started off by stripping the boxcar to its frame, keep only enough decking to support the trailer, adding a hitch and attaching the safety appliances and brakewheel.

This gallery shows the process of rebuilding the Front Range cars based on the prototype Southern Railway cars. My process includes:

* cutting out the floor between the wheel deck and hitch
* building the bracing in the open area
* modifying the handbrake riser to make it thinner
* replacing the brakewheel
* replacing the trucks with Kato 70 ton trucks
* replacing the draft gear box with Moloco parts
* removing the parting line and filling the sinking that occurs along the sides of the car
* replacing the hitch with Details West 1004
* adding rivet detail to the smooth car sides
* replace molded stirrups and grabs with metal parts