I live in Pittsburgh Pa and see many intermodal trains. I only see intermodal cars on the train. But for the sake of doing it right on my layout, can other cars other than intermodal be included on an intermodal train?
Thanks JC
I did a Google image search and found none. This is probably because intermodal cars generally run as dedicated trains between intermodal terminals.
I read somewhere that once in a while a loaded intermodal car that broke down will end up in a non-intermodal train to prevent further delay after the car is repaired.
For a year or so back in the Southern Pacific days Schneider National Road Railers were attached to the rear of a “box car” train on the Shasta Route on a regular schedule several days a week. A dedicated box car with FRED was always coupled behind them. (There was a coupler mate on both ends of the string of RoadRailers.)
Once on the SP in West Sacramento CA, I saw a train of well cars with stacks of ties in the wells.
I did find a photo of two farm tractors on a intermodal train. They were on a flat car between a tank container and a box container. The tractors and tank are on a flat “container”. However the train was in Australia.
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I see it on CN all the time. Their hot shot double stacks from Prince Rupert to Chicago are often filled out with other priority cars like auto racks.
Depends on the railroad and the service.
If its an intermodal TRAIN, probably not, if its a mixed train with intermodal cars on it then yes.
You have to remember that intermodal cars and regular freight cars are going to two different places in the yard. The railroad doesn’t want the freight cars on the ramp and doesn’t want the ramp cars in the switching yard. There are also speed differences between cars. The railroad doesn’t want 50 mph cars in a 70 mph intermodal train. They might mix blocks of 70 mph cars (auto racks, reefers, intermodal cars) in an intermodal train.
Dave,
You hit the nail,dead,center in your reply…
Cheers,
Frank
one factor that may be overlooked is the era you are modeling. intermodal service has changed a lot over the years. early on, there was not always enough traffic to justify a dedicated train.
over 40 years ago, the NYC ran any piggy back or flexi van “shorts” on the rear end of the next eastbound freight train out of E St Louis, rather than on the regular intermodal train-SV-6.
these would be the trailers going to points short of Cleveland such as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, etc.
charlie
Charlie,
That is a very good point,one of which,I had forgotten…
Cheers,
Frank
I frequently see other types of rolling stock mixed in with double-stack intermodal cars on the Union Pacific Sunset Route,
some photos of the era you wish to model would be most helpful. i would think that tofc or intermodal service evolved with more new equpment innovations faster than just about any other class of rail traffic.
originally, intermodal was a small, but, important part of our operations. it continued to grow until one day the tail was wagging the dog.
my railroad experience started long before the containers were common and nobody had even thought of stacking them. we needed the flexi-vans just to get sufficient clearance for some eastern destinations.
as a little kid back in Memphis, i remember watching the IC load short trailers onto 40’ flat cars at a ramp just south of downtown. the car department came out with a truck load of blocks, chains, binders, etc. and tied the trailers down to the car. i guess stanchions or hitches had not yet been developed.
i never saw it in person but there are photos of piggy backs behind steam. i think the ones i saw were on the NKP… just a few cars on the head end of the train.
operations varied a bit with the era too. for instance, inbound trains where i worked would have regular tofc flats mixed with flexi-van cars. this was in the days before the whole train just pulled into the yard and packers or straddle cranes would unload and reload the cars. flexi-vans got switched out and spotted on a track that had sufficient side clearance for the commando tractors to work and spin the boxes.
TTX type equipment went to one of the tracks at the ramp. cars that were turned wrong (trailers facing away for the ramp) had to be switched out and turned 180 degrees. if we just had a few turned wrongs, we gave them a spin on the turntable at the engine house. it there were quite a few of them, we would take them over to the TRRA wye and do it there.
of course we had to turn the yard engine on the turntable when we got back. we had a couple of portable
On July 22, 2010, i photographed about 8 auto racks on the tail of a BNSF Westbound stacktrain at Lyle, WA. That was out of very roughly 18 stack and TOFC trains over three days that were pure.
Ed
Believe it or not,‘‘piggyback’’ trailers on flat car,were not started by the railroads,the Circus Trains of old,with steamers pulling,them,were the key innovators. The railroads,just honed,the skills…Many old,85ft,flat cars,have what is called,circus hitches,where do you think they got the name from?
Some more to think about,
Cheers,
Frank
I have seen few auto racks on the rear of a intermodal also note I’ve seen 86’ autoparts boxcars on some intermodals.I figure these was hot JIT parts needed for production.
However,99% of the I M trains I have seen was pig/stack.
^ This. Absolutely this.
All regular trains have specific purposes or service schedules.
There are general manifest (mixed) freight trains.
There are dedicated automotive service trains (usually solid autoracks, but depending on the situation (railroad/route/etc.) could be racks and autoparts).
There are dedicated piggyback trains. Dedicated double stack trains. Trains that handle stacks and piggybacks. Trains that handle intermodal and automotive. Trains that handle all types of traffic including intermodal, automotive and general freight, if there’s not enough traffic to a particular destination. The intermodal and general freight will be in separate blocks within the train, and not freely mixed at random. If there is enough traffic for several trains over a particular route, the priority traffic can be separated out and handled on its own trains.
Also as mentioned above, the intermodal facilities and major freight classification yards may not located in the same place, and therefore this traffic is more likely to be split, as the trains don’t actually serve the same destinations.
So basically, short answer, yes you can find intermodal and general freight in the same train. But on specific trains and routes. And since it’s planned this way it will be pretty consistent day over day.
I’ll have to agree with Redore’s post, as I watch the CN trains going through southern WI, on their way to Chicago, and I see some dedicated intermodal, but I also see a lot of long strings of intermodal well cars with mixed freight cars on the end, or some times at the head. It seems to vary.
Mike.
There is one thing that doesn’t seem to vary.
Trains which handle more than one type of traffic will have each type in a sharply-defined block, not scrambled together like an omelet. I have seen stacks, auto racks and TOFC, and occasionally a cut of mixed freight - but always in sharply-differentiated groups.
Chuck (mdeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in the dessicated desert)
I used to see a train come through every morning with about 70 auto racks. Then, after the economy took a nose-dive, the same train would go by with 10 auto racks followed by piggybacks. I suppose it would just run through the intermodal yard, drop the pigs and continue on to the auto facility a couple miles further.
Around here in Baltimore we see the southbound CSX/Tropicana “Juice Empties” carrying a number of double-stack cars (each either empty or with only one container) along with the empty Tropicana reefers.
Back in 1996 when I spent a few afternoons at Fostoria, Ohio, NS seemed to run just about anything on some of their freights that came through. Even double stacks were mixed into some trains.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx6cVeb_0aQ
Kevin
Has the 89’ flat fallen out of favor for intermodal? None of the traffic in the DC area or the Pittsburgh-DC CSX route seems to use them any longer.