New Athearn december

[James Costello]

If anyone can find a 'TT' Long Runner photo with trailers on it, I'd wanna see it.  I doubt they actually saw that many 53s.

Ok @jagged ben - here's a really bad grab I've borrowed from a mag temporarily. Trailer Train ran a promotional train over Cajon in 1989 that had some cool stuff - notably for you a clean, TT era TTEX flat with some equally cool and rare BNZ trailers. I know there's better shots online somewhere... but anyway:



This train was also featured in Pentrex's Best of 1989
https://pentrex.com/DVD-Best-of-1989-DVD_1989-DVD

[James Costello]

Another temp grab shot of a TT Brown XTTX in the early 80s, showing what I suspect was the real driver for the three hitches (as opposed to pup trailers) as ISO container traffic as developing:

[GonzoCRFan]

The Trailer Train book says they were gone by 1992.

Is that the 2-volume book by the PRRT&HS? That's the only TTX book I could locate through Google.

[Missaberoad]

So why triple 57? Is that just the theoretical carrying capacity?

[GonzoCRFan]

So why triple 57? Is that just the theoretical carrying capacity?

Back in the early '90s, TTX probably assumed more states would get behind the new 57' trailers, but that never fully materialized.

https://www.bigtruckguide.com/semi-trailer-length

[Missaberoad]

Back in the early '90s, TTX probably assumed more states would get behind the new 57' trailers, but that never fully materialized.

https://www.bigtruckguide.com/semi-trailer-length

Thanks!

[James Costello]

Is that the 2-volume book by the PRRT&HS? That's the only TTX book I could locate through Google.

@GonzoCRFan
Yep, it's great. Not exactly photo heavy but interesting all the same.

[sundowner]

Those TTX books are great specially vol 2 with all the car types history and roster that TTX owns or has own.

[cfritschle]

Sort of a moot posting after James posted the photo of the Long Runner with three 53-ft trailers, but here are the oldest photos I have in my collection of a Long Runner.  The photos were taken in the Nampa, ID yard on 10/27/1990.




A lot of empty deck space with just one trailer!

[James Costello]

Awesome evidence and photo all the same Carter - thanks for sharing. Another example outside of a TT demonstration is welcome considering how rare photos are of the era.

[nkalanaga]

James:  I suspect you're right, as I don't remember seeing many less-than-40-ft trailers on flatcars in the early 70s.  20 ft containers weren't common in Pasco, but they were a fairly regular sight, without the chassis.  40 ft boxes could be seen with or without the chassis, so it makes sense that the 20 ft would also be shipped on a chassis.  Since the reporting marks date to the late 60s, that would have been about the only reason.

I question the caption, though, when it says "after 1982".  By 1982 it should have a proper consolidated stencil. and would probably have some evidence of an ACI label, even if it's just a weathered spot where the plate was.  Since TTX quit using brown paint in the early 70s, this car would have HAD to have the ACI label in the 70s.  This looks more like a late 60s picture.

[jagged ben]

James, Carter, thanks for the pics!  Although publicity runs don't really count.

Back in the early '90s, TTX probably assumed more states would get behind the new 57' trailers, but that never fully materialized.

https://www.bigtruckguide.com/semi-trailer-length

Yup.  In fact I don't think 57ft trailers ever really became a thing.  Even 53s were slow to catch on and were somewhere between very rare and non-existent in TOFC service in the pre TTX logo era (1991).   It's all good though, it just means I can put 45 and 48ft trailerson the long runners and not worry.

[sundowner]

The XTTX cars are up on MBK

[cfritschle]

The XTTX cars are up on MBK

Cool, the artwork has been updated to show the "X" in front of the "TTX" for at least one of them. 

[jagged ben]

Cool, the artwork has been updated to show the "X" in front of the "TTX" for at least one of them. 

Well folks, it looks to me like Athearn has screwed up.  My ATH14331 arrived yesterday and it's a plain old TTX with only two hitches, like the previous (non-longrunner) releases of this car.  This despite being accompanied by 'XTTX' everywhere this item is listed online.

It's possible that ATH14340 (note the out of sequence part #) actually has different printing per the artwork.  All info about these cars has thoroughly disappeared from the Athearn website. 

I was really just supporting the cause because I haven't been able to find any meaningful amount evidence of three trailers on a flat during the era these XTTX cars supposedly existed.  Guess I have fodder for a WTTX conversion now, but still...  Boo.