Intermodal Container Cars - sets of 5?


F

FlyFishn

Member
Are intermodal container cars always in sets of 5? Mainly in reference to the double stack 40ft container cars. It looks like the truck between the cars in the set of 5 is shared, then every 5 the "set" is split?
 
FlyFishn said:
Are intermodal container cars always in sets of 5? Mainly in reference to the double stack 40ft container cars. It looks like the truck between the cars in the set of 5 is shared, then every 5 the "set" is split?
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If an intermodal car is connected by articulation or drawbars it is one car but comprised of individual "units". The car will have only one number & units lettered "A" thru "C", "D" or "E" depending if its a 3, 4 or 5 unit car. The units are consecutively labeled A, E, D, C & B so the car has an A & B end like any other freight car.
 
Ah. Thanks for the insight. I see there is still lots I am not aware of with trains. Learning as I go.

I am looking in to setting up an intermodal container train for N scale. It looks like all the sets I have seen are "5 unit cars" with 10 containers, like the Kato sets. It looks like full scale "sets/cars" vary from 3-5 units.
 
Have you given any thought to what era or RR you want to model? Early cans (containers) were mostly 20', 40, & a few 45' cans for foreign goods (Asian & European). Later when they were used for domestic loads 48' cans & wells carrying those. Nowadays most domestic loads are carried in 53' cans. Most if not all 48' wells are now only 40' long for mostly foreign loads. And nothing says a few pigs (trailers) can't be thrown in the mix.
 
Thanks for the insight again. Era I am envisioning is everything modern - so last 10 years or so. That isn't to say I may run a steam loco/passenger train or something else out of era, but the focus would be modern.
 
Well if you're going modern then run a train of 20' & 40' cans for foreign imports. If you have some 53's you could run them in the same train but set out/pick up those inland & do the 40's at a "port". If you don't have one use a spur/siding away from the 53' spur/siding.
 
Kato has the information somewhere. Some three piece units are older sets. The five piece cars are more recent and then for some logistical or maintenance reasons the railroads switched back to three piece units. The other prototype thing about intermodal is that traffic patterns vary depending on the economy.

Captain of Industry
President of Lancaster Central RR
President of Lancaster & Western Maryland Railway
 
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