Shipping Companies in the 97-99 Timeframe

[flight2000]

Hey guys. 

Does anyone know of a website or other resource for determining what shipping companies were sending containers by rail in the 97-99 timeframe.  Other than spending hours upon hours looking for container shots online, thought I'd ask if there was a simple way to do this. 

Working on putting together a few intermodal trains that ran back and forth on the Chicago line (Conrail era... )

Cheers,
Brian

[Denver Road Doug]

I'm interested in resources for this information as well.

I have mostly completed my research (the hard way....hours of perusing photos online) and I think I have a pretty representative fleet of containers and trailers.  But I will still try to refine things as I go forward.

I will say that you are in a bit of a research "black hole" so to speak.  I originally planned to model 1997-1998 but was having extreme difficulty finding information from that period. (and  not just intermodal either...I'm talking every aspect of my research) For that and a few other reasons I've moved up to 1998-2003 as my era, and trying to focus my intermodal fleet around 2000-2001.   I think the reason is the transition to digital...guys were not shooting as much during that time to save money on film and development so they could plunk down the cold hard cash for a digital camera.   There's stuff out there, it's just harder to find, and less of it.

Anyway, I'd be glad to share anything I can.  It depends on what railroads and what lines on those railroads you model.  And there could even be a change during those years from one railroad to another as to which one had the contract.  EDIT: Just noticed you are talking Conrail...not as well versed on their ops versus the Western roads, but still might have something of use.

[Robbman]

Try to find videos from that time period...

[James Costello]

Domestic or international shipping? Containers or trailers?

For those of us that aren't familiar, what are you defining as the Chicago line?

[flight2000]

Domestic or international shipping? Containers or trailers?

For those of us that aren't familiar, what are you defining as the Chicago line?

I'm trying to model the mainline between Collinwood Yard in Ohio and Chicago.  That was the name of it for Conrail, but believe it extended all the way to Selkirk, NY.  Not 100% sure were it started, but it ended in Chicago... 

Conrail's intermodal was a mix of everything from what I remember, so anything goes.  Just want to make sure I'm in the ballpark with the paint schemes of the day. 

Thanks Doug.  I'm pretty much stuck stopping at 1999 because of the split.  I thought about going CSX or NS with the patch jobs, but that's just not right....

Cheers,
Brian

[flight2000]

Try to find videos from that time period...

Duh, I forgot I had a whole bunch of Conrail videos from Pentrax and Green Frog Videos....

Guess I need to pop them in the computer this weekend and watch the trains go by....

Cheers,
Brian

[Frisco Larry]

There was and may still be a publication similar to the ORER for railroad cars which lists containers and trailers.  I have one from Sept 1991, Vol. 23 No. 1.  The title is "The Official Intermodal Equipment Register" published by Intermodal Publishing Company New York NY

[James Costello]

Seriously, the best and fastest resource you can do is to check out the range of Big E videos of Conrail in that period, and there are a few. They show every car in a 24 hour period so you get a good feel for the traffic. Maybe start with Berea tower?

www.trainvideos.com

I'm on the road at the moment, but can help out in more detail when I get home in a week.

Start with Conrail Mercury, APL and JB Hunt though.

[flight2000]

Seriously, the best and fastest resource you can do is to check out the range of Big E videos of Conrail in that period, and there are a few. They show every car in a 24 hour period so you get a good feel for the traffic. Maybe start with Berea tower?

www.trainvideos.com

I'm on the road at the moment, but can help out in more detail when I get home in a week.

Start with Conrail Mercury, APL and JB Hunt though.

I'm good for the CR Mercury and the JB Hunt, but the APL will be a trick since they have so many different paint schemes for their containers.  Already started watching the vids and it's been a little help, especially at Berea.  The UPS trailers are pretty easy to spot too... at least I know which logo to use on those... 

Cheers,
Brian

[James Costello]

The UPS trailers are pretty easy to spot too... at least I know which logo to use on those... 

I hope you mean none

APL won't be too hard either. There's a series in Railmodel Journal on their schemes by David Casdorph. Should be available on the trainlife website.