Does anyone know what year 40’ high cube containers were first used? Also are there any special rules that apply to running high cubes on a double stack train? Can two be stacked together or does that make the load too high?
Thanks,
John
Can’t help you on what year they were first used I can tell you that I used to haul containers off of both local piers in Halifax N.S. when I still drove truck and I saw high cube’s stacked on top of each other all the time on train cars, they were in a well car though that may make the differnce. Esspecially reffer containers which are all high cube to my knoledge I have never seen a standard reffer container.
From this site http://www.robl.w1.com/Transport/intermod.htm#Movement_by_Rail
"Only some North American routes have sufficient clearances to handle stacked containers-one on top of another-in well cars. These cars are called well cars because the center into which the bottom container(s) fit(s) is below the top of the wheels.
Some routes can handle two standard (8 ft 6 in) containers on top of each other; other routes can handle two high cube containers (9 ft 6 in) containers. Routes which meet AAR plate H specifications allow for loaded cars with a maximum height of 20 ft 2 in above the top of the rail. "
My notes say that 40’ high cubes were introduced about 1980. They MAY have been 9’ high boxes rather than the current 9’-6" height–I’m not sure. Of course, “first used” isn’t the same as “shows up frequently” or “extremely common”.
High cubes can be double stacked if the route clearance allows it.
Ed