With the addition of a some new spine cars to my layout, I’m now looking for a reason to run them (meaning loads). Seems the 53’ trailer dominates the action today and all I can find are pretty pricey. Anyone have suggestions for a more affordable option?
Thanks, Jim
Promotex 53ft Trailer? $8.55 at Truck Stop Models.
I thought I could find Model Power/Malibu, Herpa, and Tonkin vans cheaper, but they seem to be either too short or come in tractor/trailer sets - no trailers only.
Anyway, maybe you’ll have better luck searching for those.
You might have to search EBAY or train shows, but Walthers had at one time 53’ trailer kits that retailed for $6.98 http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=WALTHERS&item=&words=restrict&split=30&category=&scale=H&instock=Q&showdisc=Y&keywords=trailer&start=120
Thanks guys, I will check some of these out.
Jim
The Walthers trailers are probably the cheapest trailers you can find that still look good. Athearn sells 2 packs of trailers that are a little more money but are nicer looking. I’m slowing replacing my Walthers ones for Athearns and Promotex ones.
I run a modern day DRGW railblazer piggy back train on my layout and I have several 53’ trailers and chassis with 53’ containers on them mostly Athearn’s. Athearn came out with several 53’ trailers not too long ago, I believe they were swift and england intermodal and a few other trucking companies. Athearn is coming out with some new 53’ chassis this spring. I dont know of anyone else that that makes a chassis or trailer of that length. Walthers has plenty of 48’ to choose from, you still see those around. I don’t know what road your modeling but I can tell you Im and engineer for UP and I see a mix of 53’ trailers, 53’ containers on chassis, a 48’ here and there, and usually quite a few UPS pup trailers but also some 53’ UPS trailers. Depending on where your at and what train it is you’ll see the orange Schneider 53’ trailers. UP is slowing trying to fade away from actual semi trailers for several reasons and one of them being because regular 53’ containers and even the containers on the chassis are more convenient to load and unload and the railroad can offer the shipper a better price, but on that note I do know that some shippers have said they are willing to pay the higher price to move their regular semi-trailers. The 53’ container is definitely dominating the stacker landscape these days. Id have to agree with the earlier post that a train show may be your best bet, usually see plenty of them floating around. Happy Railroading!
I too am modeling the D&RGW Rail Blazer but I’m sticking to modeling a non-fantasy version as it really looked when it ran in the mid to late 1980’s - which was mainly with 89’ flush deck and channel side flat cars and 45’ trailers made by Brae, Fruehauf and Stoughton and painted for Xtra, Preferred Poo,l Preferred 45, Santa Fe, Trans America, Golden Pig Service, Southern, Boston & Main, FEC, Seaboard, and of course some UPS 26, 28 and 40’ drop frame parcel trailers. I do have a few spine cars but those were mostly used at the tail end of the Rail Blazer. Techincially that train was discontinued after 4 or 5 years but of course TOFC remained.
Good sources of 45’ trailers (careful, many are bogus) are:
Athearns 45’ Fruehauf (strictly they represent the 5 foot extended 40’ trailers but make good stand-ins for as built 45’ trailers) (1982- ?)
Front Range/McKean/Accural 45’ Brae Trailers (~1982-1988)
Walthers 45’ Stoughton (took over Brae design in the late 80’s)
Walthers 48’ Stoughton
Atlas 45’ Pines (around 1990 +)
Concor 45’ Trailers (generic 45’ trailer, not sure what they represent - have few)
I checked Trainworld, and got 274 hits on “trailer”, most are something else, but check the list and you may find something at a good price.
http://www.trainworldonline.com/search.php?q=trailer&x=31&y=9