Micro Trains March Releases

[basementcalling]

The folks in Talent don't need a leap year to get work done in the shortest month of the year.

https://www.micro-trains.com/publicfiles/monthly/MN2403.pdf

[jagged ben]

I didn't realize they 'stretched' 40" trailers to 45'.  Is that true?

[rodsup9000]

 I think what they mean by "stretched" is that it has the same design as the 40 footers, and made them 45 foot.

[Missaberoad]

They literally added panels to 40 foot trailers to make them 45 feet long and extend their useful lives. Pretty common practice, similar to how they "stretched" 40 foot boxcars to 50 foot cars.

That CNW gondola is pornographic  I've wanted one of those for years!
Between Micro-trains, ESM and a couple athearn cars I have more 65 foot gondolas then I'm ever going to need!

[Missaberoad]

Here's some pictures where the weathering shows the extra panels.

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_09.jpg

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_12.jpg

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_10.jpg

[ai5629]

I think what they mean by "stretched" is that it has the same design as the 40 footers, and made them 45 foot.

What I remember hearing back in the early 80's was this.  Forty feet was the longest allowable length for trailers until 1981 or 1982 IIRC.  In 1981 or 1982, the ICC increased the maximum trailer length to 45' (also the maximum width increased to 102 inches around this time, up from 96 inches).  Railroads were upset that they just bought 40' trailers that were now "obsolete."   The manufacturers offered retrofit kits that increased the length of the trailers by five feet to 45', making them more desirable for shippers.  This kit was added to the end of the trailer and could usually be identified by the newer / less weathered paint on that end of the trailer.  I hope this helps.

Jeff

[ai5629]

Here's some pictures where the weathering shows the extra panels.

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_09.jpg

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_12.jpg

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_10.jpg

Great examples of this practice.

[John]

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1948519
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1535323
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F3699%2F10009463896_9f2c235fcc_z.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=962a2a522701bb25da198f1072864acc22555c8073974710d8c68f340ed6e608&ipo=images
https://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/6613/IMG_0699.JPG





http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rspicture.aspx?id=150991

[jagged ben]

Here's some pictures where the weathering shows the extra panels.

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_09.jpg

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_12.jpg

http://www.qstation.org/Intermodal_ATSF/TOFC_Trailers/ATSF_Trailer_10.jpg

Then MT should be weathering theirs like that!   

Seriously, thanks for the links.

[jagged ben]

They literally added panels to 40 foot trailers to make them 45 feet long and extend their useful lives. Pretty common practice, similar to how they "stretched" 40 foot boxcars to 50 foot cars.

Or how they have stretched some 48ft double stack cars to 53ft (although a much larger number were cut down to 40ft).  Thanks to all who answered my question.

[Philip H]

I wasn't going to order anything this month . . . 

[basementcalling]

I wasn't going to order anything this month . . . 

And now...???

[Philip H]

And now...???

I'm going to have to get the WM car . . . .

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I wasn't going to order anything this month . . . 

I was in the same boat. Then I saw that Z scale boxcar... dammit @Gozer the Gozerian !!!

[John]

I'm going to have to get the WM car . . . .

They did it in nscale