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Spine cars

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Spine cars
Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 7, 2005 7:02 AM
Keep meaning to ask:

See lots of spine cars with pigs on them. What were spine cars originally meant to haul? Have they been modified to haul pigs? These are very interesting cars!

Mookie

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Posted by spbed on Thursday, April 7, 2005 7:06 AM
No they were built for TOFC traffic. [:p][:D]

Originally posted by Mookie

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by edblysard on Thursday, April 7, 2005 7:11 AM
spbed is correct, they were purpose built for trailers...but many have been adapted to carry containers also.

Ed

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Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 7, 2005 7:13 AM
A very ingenious design! Haven't seen containers on them-----yet.....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, April 7, 2005 10:48 AM
Most of the spine cars you'll see (TTAX and TTRX) were built to carry either trailers or containers--they have the hitches for the trailers (one or two per unit) and pedestals for the containers.

Spine cars bearing reporting marks NTTX are for containers exclusively. Most of these predate the TTAX and TTRX cars.

One recent development is that some of the older TTAX cars (capable of carrying trailers/containers up to 48 feet in length) are being lengthened to accommodate 53-foot loads. Watch for TTAX cars in the 555000 and 556000 series--these are the lengthened ones.

Carl

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Posted by TheS.P.caboose on Thursday, April 7, 2005 12:03 PM
Hi Mookie,

These are seen around here in he Los Angeles area on a daily basis. If you get a chance, there are lots of them that go to the port of Long Beach. It's an interesting operation to see them get loaded from the ships.

If you've had or get the chance to be at West Colton there can be long trains of 100-150 cars long with some of these cars included.[:)]
Regards Gary
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Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 7, 2005 12:27 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by TheS.P.caboose

Hi Mookie,

These are seen around here in he Los Angeles area on a daily basis. If you get a chance, there are lots of them that go to the port of Long Beach. It's an interesting operation to see them get loaded from the ships.

If you've had or get the chance to be at West Colton there can be long trains of 100-150 cars long with some of these cars included.[:)]
I will put that in my travel itinerary. Seems like every time I get to California, it takes 3 men and a small boy to get me off Shelter Island (San Diego)! Guess I should see the rest of the state?

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by TheS.P.caboose on Thursday, April 7, 2005 12:31 PM
If you do get to the yard at West Colton, it's along I-10 between Sierra Avenue and Pepper Avenue. Pepper is where the railfan hang out at.
Regards Gary
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Posted by cherokee woman on Thursday, April 7, 2005 12:33 PM
Could someone please post a link for a picture of what they look like? Not
sure I've ever seen one?
Angel cherokee woman "O'Toole's law: Murphy was an optimist."
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Posted by Junctionfan on Thursday, April 7, 2005 12:55 PM
At one time I believe that Conrail and BN had spine cars and Santa Fe had a or some 10 unit spine car/s.
Andrew
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Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 7, 2005 1:52 PM
All you puter whizzes out there - can you show CW what a spine car looks like?

CW - you will love them - they are odd looking!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, April 7, 2005 2:15 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

All you puter whizzes out there - can you show CW what a spine car looks like?

CW - you will love them - they are odd looking!


You could say they're the backbone of the industry....
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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, April 7, 2005 2:16 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Seems like every time I get to California, it takes 3 men and a small boy to get me off Shelter Island (San Diego)!



I didn't know you were related to Michael Jackson....
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Posted by Junctionfan on Thursday, April 7, 2005 2:37 PM
Sounds like something Jay Leno would say.
Andrew
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Posted by chad thomas on Thursday, April 7, 2005 2:56 PM
The first spine cars I remember seeing were the ATSF fuel foiler 10-packs.

I like the spine cars. I have lots of them in my HO collection. They are great running cars.
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Posted by edblysard on Thursday, April 7, 2005 3:55 PM
CW...

Look here,
http://www.qstation.org/TTX_Spine_Cars/jpeg/TTAX-end-unit.jpg

The support for the trailer can fold flat, and a container can sit on the car instead...

Ed

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Posted by locomutt on Thursday, April 7, 2005 4:16 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

CW...

Look here,
http://www.qstation.org/TTX_Spine_Cars/jpeg/TTAX-end-unit.jpg

The support for the trailer can fold flat, and a container can sit on the car instead...

Ed


Thanks Ed,I was about to do a 'google' for her.
I guess 'my' explaination didn't work.

She has seen them,apparently wasn't sure what she saw.
Ed,'humble apologies',I misread your reply the first time;
thought you were saying the 'trailer' could fold flat.
No wonder there's a bunch of 'broken' products on the market.

Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!

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Posted by cherokee woman on Thursday, April 7, 2005 6:05 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

CW...

Look here,
http://www.qstation.org/TTX_Spine_Cars/jpeg/TTAX-end-unit.jpg

The support for the trailer can fold flat, and a container can sit on the car instead...

Ed


Thank you Ed. I guess I have seen one of these before, but did not
realize what it was.
Angel cherokee woman "O'Toole's law: Murphy was an optimist."
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Posted by edblysard on Thursday, April 7, 2005 8:34 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

CW...

Look here,
http://www.qstation.org/TTX_Spine_Cars/jpeg/TTAX-end-unit.jpg

The support for the trailer can fold flat, and a container can sit on the car instead...

Ed


Thanks Ed,I was about to do a 'google' for her.
I guess 'my' explaination didn't work.

She has seen them,apparently wasn't sure what she saw.
Ed,'humble apologies',I misread your reply the first time;
thought you were saying the 'trailer' could fold flat.
No wonder there's a bunch of 'broken' products on the market.



Thats OK...
If you ever see them hump a spine car over the hill at Englewood, you get the idea that some of the trailers do fold,,,,sideways, upside down, inside out and flat too!

Ed

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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, April 7, 2005 8:38 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

CW...

Look here,
http://www.qstation.org/TTX_Spine_Cars/jpeg/TTAX-end-unit.jpg

The support for the trailer can fold flat, and a container can sit on the car instead...

Ed


Thanks Ed,I was about to do a 'google' for her.
I guess 'my' explaination didn't work.

She has seen them,apparently wasn't sure what she saw.
Ed,'humble apologies',I misread your reply the first time;
thought you were saying the 'trailer' could fold flat.
No wonder there's a bunch of 'broken' products on the market.



Thats OK...
If you ever see them hump a spine car over the hill at Englewood, you get the idea that some of the trailers do fold,,,,sideways, upside down, inside out and flat too!

Ed


Ahem...'bout that load of crystal we shipped.......
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Posted by locomutt on Thursday, April 7, 2005 8:43 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

CW...

Look here,
http://www.qstation.org/TTX_Spine_Cars/jpeg/TTAX-end-unit.jpg

The support for the trailer can fold flat, and a container can sit on the car instead...

Ed


Thanks Ed,I was about to do a 'google' for her.
I guess 'my' explaination didn't work.

She has seen them,apparently wasn't sure what she saw.
Ed,'humble apologies',I misread your reply the first time;
thought you were saying the 'trailer' could fold flat.
No wonder there's a bunch of 'broken' products on the market.



Thats OK...
If you ever see them hump a spine car over the hill at Englewood, you get the idea that some of the trailers do fold,,,,sideways, upside down, inside out and flat too!

Ed


Ahem...'bout that load of crystal we shipped.......


Talk about losing your 'backbone'[:D]

Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!

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Posted by ericsp on Thursday, April 7, 2005 10:25 PM
Don't forget the TTLX (I think that is the reporting mark). It looks like the spine is higher at the hitch than at the platform for the tires.

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Posted by Mookie on Friday, April 8, 2005 6:10 AM
Dan! When I get to CA the first thing I am going to do is hunt you down....er....look you up!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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