traditional size intermodal rolling stock?

[trestrainfan]

The majority of freight trains I see in this area of the country are carrying double stacked shipping containers. I'm not sure what the correct terminology is to refer to these cars - intermodal?, flat cars with containers? I know these cars are available in "scale" size from Lionel.

My interest so far in model trains is "traditional" size locos and rolling stock, including semi-scale engines like the Lionmaster series. I'd like everything to be able to run on O-31 radius curves.

As I was driving around today and I saw some of these full size trains, I thought, can these be modeled in "traditional" size? 

Looking at the Lionel catalog, the double stack cars run on O-31, but they are sized for scale trains, so I assume they are going to look huge compared to my engines and roling stock. I looked back through the product finder (only goes back to 2000), and it looks like the only cars that might have been sized for more traditional cars would have been the Maersk maxi-stack cars from 2000. I'm not sure about the scale on those as there wasn't as much information in the earlier catalogs. I imagine the Maersk cars are hard to find. Looking on ebay for container rolling stock, it looks like there may be earlier issues that are more traditional size, but the info in most auctions doesn't really say much about scale or minimum radius.

If I can't find traditional size double-stack cars, it does look like I could approximate the look of a modern freight train by using the traditional size flat cars with trailers (avoiding the PS-4 models).

 Does anyone model modern freight trains with containers or trailers in traditional size? What do you use?

[lionelsoni]

I avoid double-stacks because I can't see any way to get them through O27 turnouts.  However, Lionel made numerous TTLX spine cars which will run on O27.  They all come in sets of 2 units, which is 3 fewer than the prototype.  I combined 2.5 sets to make a 5-unit one; but the slightly greater truck spacing that results required that I trim off just a little of the undercar gear and shave a little off the transverse beams at the ends of the units.

I turned the leftover unit into a 4-wheel TTOX, using a cut-up Kickapoo car to make two 2-wheel "trucks".  The couplers steer the trucks; so it must be coupled to an 8-wheel car at each end; but it gets around the corners.

The Lionel trailers are quite small.  I bought 4 larger containers and made the appropriate keyholes in the bottoms to accept the Lionel trailer underframes.  I also leave one or two units empty, which is of course prototypical.

[brianel027]

I take broken Lionel spring activated dump car frames, and make a number of major modifications to them and turn them into 027-ized spine cars. I now have several that I've adapted to hold a number of different sized containers all on the same car. I also can do double stacks on them.

I absolutely refuse to let lack of these products being made from letting me have them on my smaller layout. I've also modified old tank cars into modern ones and have custom made my own coil cars too. It's like that old song from the 1980's DIY.... do it yourself.

[chuck]

Lionel did make a set of paired articulated TOFC style spline cars back in the early to late 90's.  I believe the last set had Apple trailers.  You could replace the trailers with containers (assuming you could find the cars).

[Andrew Falconer]

For LIONEL you have to back to the beginning of the 1990's to see more of the Traditional Sized Double-Stack  Intermodal Cars.

Since about 1991-1992 Lionel has been making the Traditionally proportioned model of the Gunderson Maxi-Stack II Intermodal Car. The production of the Gunderson Maxi-Stack II has been in clusters. Most of them have blown out at large hobby shops by managers that get nervous if the cars do not sell in a year. That is how I got the CN versions of the Maxi-Stack from Train Express.

Mike's Train House RailKing line has regularly been offering the traditionally proportioned Gunderson Husky-Stack Intermodal Car. The containers are extra tall for some reason. S Scale intermodal containers will fit just fine in these nearly S Scale Cars. Remember that is RailKing Husky-Stack.

I have to check to see if American Models or the Showcase Line have S Scale Intermodal. Traditional Line Cars are nearly S Scale so look at S Scale Intermodal.

Andrew Falconer

[trestrainfan]

Thanks to everyone for the information.

Now I have an idea what to look for, although they may be a challenge to find as the cars may be a few year old.

[brianel027]

Andrew, while you are correct, I think some clarifications need to be made.

Lionel has cataloged quite a few TTUX "Spine Cars" and deep center well "Maxi Stack" cars. All are still readily found on secondary sale sources like Traincity and eBay. Both cars come with the somewhat smaller traditionally sized Lionel containers. The double car TTUX sets were at 21-1/2 inches together and run on 027 track. The double car Maxi Stack sets on the other hand have a combined length of 26-1/2 inches and WILL NOT clear Lionel 027 switches.

So for the 027 modeler and operator, the Spine Cars are the only way to go. I would imagine the MTH versions of the Maxi Stacks also do not clear 027 switches.

Though I have not tried it myself, I would also imagine the problem with using an "S" scale Maxi Stack (although the idea has been appealing to me too) would be the space on the car for the truck. If the "S" scale Maxi's are true to S scale, then the larger 0 guage Lionel truck would probably not fit in the same space. I haven't tried it, but I have studied the pictures, and this appears to be the case the way I see it.