What does the X stand for in the TTX ?

The X designates it is non-railroad owned equipment.

Curt

I always thought it was Trailer Train eXchange.

I don't see anywhere on the TTX website or wikipedia explaining what the X in TTX stands (or stood) for.  But in your instance, as part of the company name, the X doesn't represent the last character of a private owner reporting mark (all private owner reporting marks are four characters, and the last character is always an X).  It's simply part of the name.

TTX operates cars under many different reporting marks.  In some instances, as Curt mentions, the X does end up as the last character in the reporting mark, such as the CTTX mark found on many autoracks.  But any number of car types and classes under TTX ownership bear reporting marks not ending in TTX.  All of the boxcar groups (ABOX, RBOX, FBOX, TBOX) and all of the gondolas (GONX, GNTX) obviously don't have TTX in the marks, and there is a whole group of cars with marks formatted TT*X rather than *TTX.  In fact, historically there are 24 reporting marks in each format, with the * replaced by the letters A-Z, excepting T and Y.

Jim

The “X” is assigned to rail car owners that are not common carrier railroads.   Trailer Train Company’s  original assigned reporting mark probably is/was TTX.  In 1991 the company name was changed to TTX Company.

Larry 

juniata guy posted:

The X designates it is non-railroad owned equipment.

Curt

What does CSX mean operated by Chessie System a non railroad?  

CSX is a corporate name. The reporting mark is CSXT.   When I worked for a railroad, cars with railroad reporting marks were paid for time and mileage and ther use was controlled by the car service rules. Cars with reporting marks ending in an X only got mileage payments and their empty movement was managed by the owners or lessors. There are other special last place marks like U and Z for trailers, containers and chassis.  Reporting marts do not need to be four letters. They could have 1, 2, 3, or 4 letters followed by one to six numbers. 

big train posted:

all private owner reporting marks are four characters, and the last character is always an X

Jim

Jim:

I will agree that most private reporting marks are four characters but, not all.  One example that comes immediately to mind since we lease some of their cars is The Andersons - reporting marks AEX.

Curt

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

juniata guy posted:

The X designates it is non-railroad owned equipment.

Curt

What does CSX mean operated by Chessie System a non railroad?  

CSX dates back to the time a few years when naming corporations after their stock symbols was in vogue.  US Steel was USX, Chessie was CSX, Trailer Train was/is TTX.

Part of the fun of our hobby is picking up books known as Official Railway Equipment Register or ORERs.  They go back to the turn of the 20th century and list all railroad and private owned cars and their reporting marks as well as information on the railroad such as junction and interchange points and railroad contact information.  One can spend hours reading them and looking at the car types and weights and sizes as well as what railroads interchange with what and where.   In the days before computers and the UMLER and current EDI railroad car data formats they were the encyclopedia of a railroad's train cars. 

ORERs, vintage "Official Guide of the Railways" and vintage Car Builders Cyclopedia books are cool collectors items and great railroad reference items to read.  Some are pricey but some are dirt cheap and have tons of information.   Great train room bathroom books. 

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

juniata guy posted:

The X designates it is non-railroad owned equipment.

Curt

What does CSX mean operated by Chessie System a non railroad?  

According to his biography "Just call me Hays"  former Chessie System and CSX CEO Hays T. Watkins explains that "CSX"  was originally a code name used for the new company to be formed by the merger of Chessie (C) Seaboard (S) and the growth expected to result from the merger (X).  The plan was to hold a contest among employees at a later date to select a more permanent name from submitted suggestions. By the time the ICC finished its deliberations, the CSX name had become well accepted and it was decided there was no reason to change.

C.J.

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

juniata guy posted:

The X designates it is non-railroad owned equipment.

Curt

What does CSX mean operated by Chessie System a non railroad?  

There's already a CSX that's not a railroad.  And it's been around longer:

Rusty

juniata guy posted:

big train posted:

all private owner reporting marks are four characters, and the last character is always an X

Jim

Jim:

I will agree that most private reporting marks are four characters but, not all.  One example that comes immediately to mind since we lease some of their cars is The Andersons - reporting marks AEX.

Curt

Curt,
You're right, and if I'd thought about it before typing I'd probably have realized it too.   I see the AEX cars all the time.  

Jim

I read that CSX stood for Chessie, Seaboard, and others.  YMMV.

POTRZBE posted:

I read that CSX stood for Chessie, Seaboard, and others.  YMMV.

They wanted "CSM", but that was already taken, so they settled for "CSX", and then added the "T" for Transportation. Thus, "C" stood for Chessie, "S" stood for Seaboard, and the "X" doesn't stand for anything, winding up with "CSXT" for awhile.