With the newest addition of the Train Worx 85' flat cars and the BLMA F89 flats, I've got some questions now: 1. Did the railroads ever combine loads on a flat car? That is, a 40' container and a 40'/45' trailer on same car? 2. Would it be within reason, to load a single 45'/48'/53' trailer on an 85' flatcar? 3. Although I've never seen anything, is it also possible to load a single Empty container chassis on a flatcar? Or were they always loaded when shipped by rail? Might use this as a possible scene on the future HCD layout I'm working on! Or will, once the Atlas turnouts and straight track are once again in stock! Information, as always, much appreciated. Thanks.
Jerry, Appreciate the info! Just curious now, any photos of said situation(s)?? One reason I ask about the trailer/container combination, is TrainWorx has adapters for adding 4 20' containers to their flatcars. That could also easily hold 2 40' containers. DeLux containers seem to fit the best from my momentary test! Walthers and Micro Train containers fit, but are quite loose. Photos, if anyone interested, and IF I can find a decent spot to take photos!
Keith, I have seen, but have no photos, of two 85' flatcars with three 40', or 45', semi trailers on them. One semi trailer on each end, and one semi trailer straddling the coupler between the two flatcars. I saw them running on Santa Fe between Vaughn, NM and Clovis, N.M. a few years ago. They may not do that anymore? Perhaps JDB has seen them? Carl
Echoing the others the answer to all three is yes. I have seen single trailers on the flats and mixed with some all container loads, or a few containers and trailers mixed. When the booze train ran through on the old RF&P used to see three or four unique tanks in structural framework loaded on a number of flats mixed in with trailers and containers and occasionally a bunch of trash containers also carried on them usually grouped at the end. And almost always a few empty flats usually tucked on the end.
Carl, these are two 89' flats, and the trailers are normally 48 or 53' ones. They are called long runners, and designed to haul 3 57' trailers. Reporting marks are TTEX.
Same thing as the Triple 45 cars that I've seen photos of. Know of an article or two, from the defunct Railroad Modeler? magazine. On building the Triple 45 as well as other TOFC/COFC cars. Have the magazine, just don't know where!! May need to see if I can locate some of the former Alan Curtis car kits.
I am venting here so bare with me, or just ignore it. As I have only done this a few times over the years. Oh, well, here goes! Keith, you have been on this forum since, Jan 2004 and have posted 2,426, times. This question has been asked and talked about many, many times. How did you miss it? I see this all the time. Lots of postings and lots of reading post and still never read the most basic stuff. How it it possible? Sorry, if I seem rude, but this just bugs me. Why be on the forum if one is not going to read the information given. Or is it that people are being selective and only reading certain post that only appeal to them at the time and do not read others just for the knowledge that they will get.
There are many books on the subject. Check with your local library. If they don't have any, see about an inter library loan. As stated, the basic answer to your questions is yes. But over the years intermodal has changed a lot. If your trying to model a particular time period, then that's another story. Since you didn't state one, I won't get into that. There are many interesting things to model in intermodal though IMHO. enjoy!
I for one am selective...too many threads in too many forums to actually sit and read every one of them word for word. I skip pretty much every thread by Mr. RSS, which some days can be 25+, wish there was a way to block it... I also skip threads that I feel are not going to influence me, like the Bachmann S-4 threads, well the S-4 doesn't fit my modeling era, so I'm not going to get one, therefore don't need to read up on how great or not great it is. Also, there was just posted a thread recently about how the search function here isn't the greatest. So Keith may have searched, and because one of the words is very popular, suddenly he has 12000 threads to wade through. Pretty sure if he typed trailer train flatcar load, as a search, it would hit almost every single thread.
As an Administrator, I am charged with keeping an eye on everything. Even I cannot always catch every single daily post. Yes. We have people who are forum-centric, who often bookmark one single forum and never move outside of it. In this instance, Keith is not such a person. The search engine we get, along with this software, has never been adequate. Sometimes it hits, much of the time it does not, and instead compiles a list of almost useless or irrelevant possibilities. (BTW- There is nothing we can do about this weakness. It is a developer issue.) Thus, we certainly do not mind folks repeating questions... Or for that matter, bringing forth old topics with fresh input. We're sorry it bugs you, but we really do not need to chastise people for starting such topics, or making these posts!
Could you name a few for us? Other than "Piggyback & Containers" (DeBoer), I've only found pictures here and there and very few articles. Your help would be certainly appreciated as there have been a number of members looking for TOFC reference material in particular. As to question 3, if you think about it, empty containers are inevitable at some points in their travels. They try to have loads for containers going back to (say) Asia so rates are cheap in that direction. But 60%(!) of the containers going back to Asia are still empties. Trade imbalance, eh? Plus I'm sure Apple doesn't want a container of iPhones shipped in a container that was used to ship cowhides previously (the latter are often packed in plastic, but if a package broke open or leaked -- yuck). So just like boxcars, there are containers specified for special loads or clean lading only.
Wow. Did you really just say that? :wideeyes: That viewpoint, in my opinion....is dumbfounding. Good way to run people away, though.
Besides DeBoer's book (, the which is excellent IMHO) there is "Intermodal Railroading" by Brian Solomon which also covers the story of intermodal. Model Railroading has 2 soft cover books, "Intermodal Modeler's Guide vol 1 and 2" compiled and edited by Randy Lee containing modeling articles they have published over the years (vol 1 has an article using Micro Trains 89' flats converted to various styles of flats including the long runners). And Model Railroader has "The Modeler's Guide to Intermodal Equipment and Operations" by Jeff Wilson. I have all of these and use the ones from Randy Lee and Jeff Wilson quite a lot. I guess this this doesn't represent "many" for most, but for me to have this many books on one subject is a lot. I know of a few more but the names escape me atm, need coffee. As far as photographs, I like going to either http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/ or http://www.railcarphotos.com/ and using their search engines for equipment type trailers. On rrpicturearchives, you then get a listing of reporting marks used to choose from to get photos of equipment with that reporting mark. I know there are more magazine articles out there, I use the Model Railroader magazine index to search for articles. I've acquired several years worth of magazines that I can usually find the article in. Or else search the used magazine rack at one of our LHS's. Hope this helps.
Back to the thread topic .................. You guys jogged my memory (slow @ 73 years of age) and I found the "triple runner that I made" from AC kits. This even shows the drawbar. I had not noticed the flat on left appears to be warped, so I just checked it and yes it is. Must fix it. These AC kits were/are great. I have run this unit many times on NTRAK modules and it performed beautifully. Maybe because of the weight ? ? ? Thanks for reminding me about my model. Carl
Nice Triple-57/Long-Runner Carl! Yes, some of the (older?) AC Models 89' flats will start to sag somewhat over time. I guess they were made by a softer metal compound(?) as I have a more-recent set of flats from AC Models or N Scale Kits that don't sag. At any rate, I have a Triple-53/Long-Runner car that I have to un-sag about once or maybe twice a year by applying gentle pressure in the opposite direction... I also made a Triple-57 from newer AC Models or NSK flats. This one does not start to sag. I still need to put the stirrups on this one.... Alternate trailer loading configuration unique to the TTEX 161XXX series Triple-57 cars....
Sorry Keith for the rant. It was not really directed to you as such, but your post just sort of got me spouting. So many members have said what I have over the years, maybe in a different way and many the same way. Won't happen again. I will respect every ones opinions and questions.
