Mid 1990's Intermodal

[ljudice]

I've lost count of some of the neat new intermodal items here or coming in N-scale....  Let me mention a couple and double check on applicability for mid 1990's use:

- BLMA 5 unit spine car ->  similar to earlier version which was around in that time period
- BLMA 89' flat ->  perfect in both TTX 3 hitch and TT 2 hitch schemes
- Trainworx 85' flat --> probably some still around in TT paint (or possibly paintouts for TTX)????
- Atlas 85' trash flat --->  probably stand in for CN cars,  some roads probably ok for trash containers
- BLMA 3 unit spine car -->>  TOO new

Now my recollection is that in the mid 1990's there were 45, 48 and 53' trailers,  UPS drop frames in 28 and 40
around...

thanks...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The BLMA cars are good for 97+ but other similar cars existed before. You may be able to get away with it if Robb isn't in the room.

BLMA 89' flat TTX cars work but stick to the yellow TT scheme. Keep in mind the "TTX" reporting marks were VERY rare by the early 90's. TTWX, RTTX ETTX and Kttx cars should be good.

Trainworx cars are too old.

[ljudice]

Dan - thanks! 

- Lou

[ljudice]

Hey, I've read the archives multiple times and I still don't fully get it - the 40' UPS drop frame trailers around in the 1990's would have red or yellow STRIPES - and/or no stripes? 

- thanks, lou

[Wardie]

Depending on where in the us you are looking at you would have to check on 53' trailers, in the mid 90s they still required special permits to move the 53 foot trailers in Maine and they did not become very prevelant until the end of the decade.

[ljudice]

Good point...

My recollection of the 1991-1995 period was that the Conrail Mail Trains still had tons of 28' drop frames, a declining fraction of 40' drop frames, a lot of 45' trailers mostly XTRA, REDON and Conrail, the Conrail Mercury trailers and a few 53' JB Hunt and Schneider trailers.

The TV trains had a broader mix, with fewer UPS trailers. They also used to have ocean going containers on highway chassis.  In this time period on the former LV/Pennsy lines there was no double stack clearance so everything was on flatcars or single stacked.

I don't remember the striping on the UPS 40's - I believe they were mostly red, but not so sure.

- Lou

[Robbman]

Utah also required a special permit... but that doesn't mean they were any less prevalent.  Heck, 53' trailers are banned in New York City... but I guarantee they're there.  Permits, etc are nothing new to truckers and trucking companies... 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I have the old Intermodal Modeler's Guide Vol 1 and 2 by Motorbooks International. There is a lot of good stuff in there but I wish there was more info on the prototypes of the 1990's. It seems that this will be some sort of lost decade in terms of information. Too modern for nostalgic photographers and too old for the digital revolution.

A book on intermodal trailers of the 1990's with photos would be great.

[ljudice]

Utah also required a special permit... but that doesn't mean they were any less prevalent.  Heck, 53' trailers are banned in New York City... but I guarantee they're there.  Permits, etc are nothing new to truckers and trucking companies...

Permits?  Don't need no stink'n permits!

[ljudice]

I have the old Intermodal Modeler's Guide Vol 1 and 2 by Motorbooks International. There is a lot of good stuff in there but I wish there was more info on the prototypes of the 1990's. It seems that this will be some sort of lost decade in terms of information. Too modern for nostalgic photographers and too old for the digital revolution.

A book on intermodal trailers of the 1990's with photos would be great.

Dan - a really great source are the "Big-E"  Dick Eisenfield (sp??) videos - which were shot at many CR spots in the 1990's - they show every train for 24-48 hours and are incredibly useful.  I have about 500 prints (don't ask why I didn't shoot slides) from the early - mid 1990's of freight cars and will start scanning them in after I pick up a new scanner.

- Lou

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Lou that would be great. Where did you shoot them?

[ljudice]

New Jersey - but a lot of the traffic across the Lehigh Line was headed to New England in those days....

[James Costello]

A book on intermodal trailers of the 1990's with photos would be great.

They are Great!

http://www.amazon.com/45-foot-Railroad-Trailers-Transport-Monograph/dp/B0006FAUKE/ref=sr_1_32?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321414023&sr=1-32
http://www.amazon.com/Piggyback-Trailers-Transport-History-Monograph/dp/B0006F1H24/ref=sr_1_20?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321414003&sr=1-20
http://www.amazon.com/Railborne-Highway-Trailers-Transport-Monograph/dp/B0006FAWA2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321413855&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Domestic-Containers-Transport-History-Monograph/dp/B0006F5Q0I/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321413895&sr=1-4

Worth every penny if you can find them.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Ah... I have one of their books on Conrail gondolas. They are very useful. Too bad they are so hard to find.

[Robbman]

Permits?  Don't need no stink'n permits!

No crap.  Here in my neck of the woods you have get an overload permit (110,000lbs on a five axle) to haul coal out of a 15 county area of West Virginia, doesn't matter where your company is based.  It's $300 a year(for five axles, $500 for the much more common 6 axle), and you have to have 1-866-SEE-TRUX on all four sides of your trailer or bed.  That permit money is supposed to go towards funding the manned service center that takes the calls from that number (to report suspected violations, unsafe operating practices, etc)... it's a running joke that that service center has been automated from the get go.  None of the drivers or owners I've talked to (my other job is dealing with them on a daily basis) have ever gotten a live person...