Deluxe vs. Trainworx 53' Trailers

[MetroRedLine]

I have a bunch of older Deluxe Innovations and newer Trainworx 53' trailers on my spine cars. I've noticed, though, that the DIs ride higher on the hitch end whereas the Trainworx trailers sit more level. Has anyone noticed that? Did DI make the wheels a tad bit too small or something?

[James Costello]

I hadn't noticed and don't have mine (or my literature) handy to check, but the DI's are of course a roadrailer trailer which is engineered a lot differently than an intermodal or highway van trailer. It's entirely possible the roadrailer trailer had smaller radius wheels for clearance than a regular trailer.... and I wouldn't expect them to be the same anyway.

Real roadrailer loads OFC ones weren't level either:
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=107208

[jagged ben]

DI had two trailer types, one of which was produced in a lot of highway and intermodal trailer schemes.  But I think they both used the same undercarriage, so James point probably stands.

[Ike the BN Freak]

The road wheels on roadrailers would use air and raise the wheels up to gain clearance between them and the rails. Guessing Deluxe modeled it that way

[cfritschle]

The distance from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the trailer is a slightly greater for the D.I. trailer.

However, there is a very noticeable difference in the height of the landing gear between the two trailers.  When the "lowered" landing gear (for parking the trailer without a tractor) is used, then yes, the front of the D.I. trailer is significantly higher then the front of the Trainworx trailer.  However, if the trailers are on spine car, then the landing gear should not be a issue. 

Also, the height of the sidewalls of the D.I. are slightly greater than the height of the sidewalls of the Trainworx trailers, so maybe that is what you are seeing.   

[MetroRedLine]

The distance from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the trailer is a slightly greater for the D.I. trailer.

However, there is a very noticeable difference in the height of the landing gear between the two trailers.  When the "lowered" landing gear (for parking the trailer without a tractor) is used, then yes, the front of the D.I. trailer is significantly higher then the front of the Trainworx trailer.  However, if the trailers are on spine car, then the landing gear should not be a issue. 

Also, the height of the sidewalls of the D.I. are slightly greater than the height of the sidewalls of the Trainworx trailers, so maybe that is what you are seeing.   

But the position of the landing gear shouldn't be a factor when these cars are sitting on spine cars -- the landing gear is suspended in the air regardless of its position --  but that's where I'm noticing this discrepancy the most.


Okay, I whipped out my N scale ruler and made some N scale measurements:

TRAINWORX 53' TRAILER
Height, bottom of tire to roof: 13' 6"
Height, bottom of tire to bottom of trailer: 3' 9"
Tire diameter: 42"

DELUXE INNOVATIONS 53' TRAILER
Height, bottom of tire to roof: 13' 6"
Height, bottom of tire to bottom of trailer: 3' 4"
Tire diameter: 36"

So there ya go...

[bman]

Looking at a handy dandy Firestone tire spec sheet for one of their trailer tires it looks like

Trainworx tire is closest to  a 11R24.5 tire. The diameter of this tire is 42.8 inches.
DI      tire is closest to a 255/70R22.5 tire. The diameter of this tire is 36.3 inches.
The last company I worked for used 11R22.5 on the trailers with a diameter of 40.6 inches.
And back then(early 2000's) the most common sizes where 11R24.5 and 11R22.5. At least in the LTL world.

Here's the link to the Firestone chart if anyone finds semi truck tire sizes interesting

https://commercial.firestone.com/content/dam/bcs-sites/firestone/ProductsTemp/TBR/FT492/FT492_product_sheet.pdf

[MetroRedLine]

Looking at a handy dandy Firestone tire spec sheet for one of their trailer tires it looks like

Trainworx tire is closest to  a 11R24.5 tire. The diameter of this tire is 42.8 inches.
DI      tire is closest to a 255/70R22.5 tire. The diameter of this tire is 36.3 inches.
The last company I worked for used 11R22.5 on the trailers with a diameter of 40.6 inches.
And back then(early 2000's) the most common sizes where 11R24.5 and 11R22.5. At least in the LTL world.

Here's the link to the Firestone chart if anyone finds semi truck tire sizes interesting

https://commercial.firestone.com/content/dam/bcs-sites/firestone/ProductsTemp/TBR/FT492/FT492_product_sheet.pdf

Thanks, interesting info. I don't know too much about the trucking world so this definitely helps. So apparently both models are prototypically-correct, though as I suspected the DI models can be modernized with larger tires.  I've seen photos, videos and have railfanned and currently see no "sawtoothing" of trailer vans on Intermodal trains, although apparently sawtoothing has happened in the past.

[cfritschle]

It appears that the D.I. trailer is a "hi-cube" trailer since its overall height is 13-ft 6-in, but the sides are slightly taller than the sides of the Trainworx trailer.  If you put larger tires on the D.I. trailer you would exceed the 13-ft 6-in height, which is the maximum height allowed for trailers in many states. 

Here is an example of a Wabash ULTRA CUBE trailer. 



I am not sure if this helps or not, but maybe the hi-cube trailers are not used all that much in intermodal service.   

[basementcalling]

It appears that the D.I. trailer is a "hi-cube" trailer since its overall height is 13-ft 6-in, but the sides are slightly taller than the sides of the Trainworx trailer.  If you put larger tires on the D.I. trailer you would exceed the 13-ft 6-in height, which is the maximum height allowed for trailers in many states. 

Here is an example of a Wabash ULTRA CUBE trailer. 



I am not sure if this helps or not, but maybe the hi-cube trailers are not used all that much in intermodal service.   

That's not a Trainworx Cascadia Freightliner pulling that Swift trailer is it?

[cfritschle]

That's not a Trainworx Cascadia Freightliner pulling that Swift trailer is it?

No, but I will take a photo of the model tractor and trailer that rig "inspired" and post it this afternoon.   

[wazzou]

That's not a Trainworx Cascadia Freightliner pulling that Swift trailer is it?

It's a KATO Volvo.

[cfritschle]

It's a KATO Volvo.

And the winner is . . . Bryan!



The prototype photo was taken on the way home from the National N Scale Convention in Portland in 2009.  Kato had announced they would be producing the Volvo VNL 780 at the Manufacturer's Breakfast that morning!  We passed the Volvo with the Swift Ultra Cube trailer going up Cabbage Hill east of Pendleton, OR.  I was hoping to get another chance to see it along the way, but I had to wait until the Baker City rest area for it to catch up to us.   

However, I do remember meeting Bryan at the Portland convention, so maybe he had some inside information.   

[MetroRedLine]

And the winner is . . . Bryan!

Thank you for this; the photo also clearly shows the raised hitch end of the trailer, which was what I was talking about in my initial post.