Was this the first stinger rig? | Equipment | Forum

In a way. This is an Ill special and they were in use before 1930. The Railroad lobby was very powerful in Ill in the 1920's and 30's. By the early 1930's, auto transporters were hauling 3,4 or more cars on long trailers, some with two decks. The railroads were shipping 4 cars in a box car and as truckaway became more popular, their market share declined. Ill passed a law restricting the length of auto transporters using semi trailers. The Ill special circumvented that law by hauling two cars on the power unit and two more on a short trailer. The law actually stated that the trailer must be a full trailer using a converter dolly like a set of doubles. That was circumvented by mounting a tag axle under the drawbar. Eventually that portion of the law was relaxed and rigs like the one pictured were the only transports allowed in Ill until WWII. They were used in other states as needed and many guys called them "Bannanna Wagons".