Puddlejumper Wrote:I had thought of this when I saw the thread about the "interesting" track arrangement at the produce terminal. The tracks are set up to allow loading/unloading boxcars and reefers through the cars on adjacent tracks by lining up the doors on the spotted cars. If this terminal was built in 1930, it would be based on 36' reefers, would it not? The 4 foor increase in car length when the 40' reefer became the de facto standard would probably be still somewhat workable... but definitely not 50' cars. So the terminal would be forced to use certain tracks only, ripping up the others, unload less cars, or rebuild the loading facility.

Welcome to the real world of railroading.

Reefers came in 57' and now the behemoth 64 and 73 foot Trinity refrigerated boxcar.

Sadly older companies had a choice to make..Rebuild their docks and lay heavier rail or turn to trucks and most found it was better economically to use trucks to include intermodal..

However,modeling modern times on a ISL requires basic knowledge and a overall study since there are guidelines to follow.

faraway Wrote:What is used by CSX and NS these days for switching and transfer?

In my area (NS) it's consistent GP38-2+SD40-2 lash ups.

As in modern todays equipment, 50' boxcars are still normal.

Another good thread that I am reading with interest. Good job guys.

My previous post about LAJ & PHL not doing any intermodal work was for information, but a corollary question that I raised has not been addressed and might be of interest to other modelers on this site. Are well cars with containers delivered to industries anywhere in the country, or are they handled by the railroads like other intermodal cars with the well cars being unloaded at a railroad container terminal and the the containers delivered to local customers by truck?

Russ I would believe it wouldn't be profitable for many company's to have unloading facilities for shipping containers.

tomustang Wrote:Russ I would believe it wouldn't be profitable for many company's to have unloading facilities for shipping containers.

It wouldn't be that's why they are rubber from the intermodal yard to its final destination.This is usually done by a contract truck line.

The main way of getting things delivered by rail here is using 50" boxcars,or covered hoppers.

The only intermodal traffic here is through trains pulled by big red (usually very dirty) GE diesels.

Switching is handled by 4 axle units as the 6 axles are usually only road power here.

Catt Wrote:The only intermodal traffic here is through trains pulled by big red (usually very dirty) GE diesels.

Not anymore.....seeing as how X500 doesn't run through MI anymore

There is another annoying dimension to modern times- Passenger trains. I suppose this isn't so different, there STILL is never enough space for a real platform, but there are some ways you can have passenger trains in a small space with modern equipment.

These days, Push pull sets are the norm. If not push pulls, the good old Multiple Unit car. Many would tell you that commuter operations are impossible to do in a "tight" space. In a way, they are correct, most ROOM sized layouts don't have the mainline length to run a commuter train realistically from one stop to the next without only going for about 30 seconds. They also need broad curves

HOWEVER, the push pulls give you another option. Suppose you model the Philadelphia Area in the modern day. On the former Reading lines, Two AEM7 push pull sets run express trains between West Trenton, NJ, and 30th Street Station, Philadelphia. Each train is 5 to 6 cars long. You could have this in a small space by having a second "mainline" with double tracks with hidden staging tracks on each end. This doesn't even have to connect to the layout. Simply install automatic stop and start machines, and you could conceivably have a pair of commuter trains that flash by back and forth in the back ground. Since they don't ever need to turn around, they can just go back and forth, Pushing and Pulling.

All the Extra lighting these days is also a problem with the Modern equipment. All those Cab Control cars need to have head lights, Marker lights, and maybe ditch lights (even the locomotives may need these added!) When its all done, it looks great, but it can be irritating and expensive to add feature decoders to all the underpowered units. Simple switches below the car wouldn't be ideal, since unless you're just turning the markers on and off, the Cab car behaves more like an un-powered locomotive, part of the consist in DCC.

Every modern commuter service i can think of runs push pulls, and there are models to match anything you want if you look hard enough.

My SEPTA AEM7 in push mode.