Intermodal - trailer/container question

[Erik W]

Does anyone have any idea on when the following trailer lengths and container lengths started showing up on roads/rails?

Trailers
48'
53'

Containers
45'
48'
53'

Thanks,
Erik

[Robbman]

45' container in 1982 (same time as 45' trailers came to be)... 48' container in 1985, 53' container in 1989.

[Erik W]

45' container in 1982 (same time as 45' trailers came to be)... 48' container in 1985, 53' container in 1989.

Thanks.  That's what I was looking for.

Erik

[Matt G]

Hmmm, Whatcha up to Erik?

Matt

[Erik W]

Matt,

Ha! You know me too well.  There's always a reason I ask an out of my era/railroad question like that. 

Well, Erin and I recently returned from a two-week trip to Florida (visited my sister for a week and then went to the gulf coast to do some hiking, canoeing, etc.).  I've always had an interest in the Florida East Coast Railway, originally kindled by living in the Orlando area for a decade during my teenage and early adult years.  My friends and I would make frequent trips to New Smyrna Beach for fun in the sun.  The FEC has their engine shops there.  We did a lot of beach exploring up and down Florida's east coast and frequently would have to wait for FEC trains at various grade crossings.  I've always been fond of the blue with red and white safety striping the GP units carried. 

At any rate I always thought a model railroad depicting Florida would be boring due its table top like topography and, for the FEC anyway, straight main line.  But after doing some exploring again I realize a layout based on the FEC could actually be pretty interesting.  If the scenery is done right, the layout would be pretty unique, lots of water, interesting vegetation, marshland, sandy soil, etc. 

The era I'm looking at for my layout concept is the late '90s, around the time I left Florida.  I just bought a copy of Speedway to Sunshine yesterday, lots of good info in that.  My trailer/container question was geared towards what would be seen on FEC pig trains in the late ‘90s.

I'm still happily working away on my D&RGW layout.  I’m currently adding details to a freight station and some loading docks, as I get ready to start the city scenery.  I just fart around with different layout concepts when we're watching the tube at night. It gives me a reason to buy new books.  I think I’m not alone in having affection for a particular railroad that played some part in my past.


FEC centennial paint scheme.

Erik 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh man... another FEC fan!

Speedway was great. You have no idea how happy I was when it got reprinted.

You've found the FEC yahoo groups, right? I know there's one group actually making a onetrak layout based on the FEC too. It's impressive stuff.

I have one of the GP40-2s that Atlas did years ago. It's a great model.

I've struggled with the same problem too. Modeling it always seemed so tough because there's no "tricks" to hide stuff. No hills, and even the trees are those tall pitch pines that don't have low canopies, etc...

[Erik W]

Oh man... another FEC fan!

Speedway was great. You have no idea how happy I was when it got reprinted.

You've found the FEC yahoo groups, right? I know there's one group actually making a onetrak layout based on the FEC too. It's impressive stuff.

I have one of the GP40-2s that Atlas did years ago. It's a great model.

I've struggled with the same problem too. Modeling it always seemed so tough because there's no "tricks" to hide stuff. No hills, and even the trees are those tall pitch pines that don't have low canopies, etc...

Ed,

Yeah, I found the yahoo lists.  My basic thought with an FEC plan, in the space I have, would be to have a much longer mainline run than I do now.  My current layout is a 12' x 14' L shape.  I have a space available that's 13.5' x 15'.  My thoughts were an oval taking up all the space with a long peninsula down the middle with a backdrop up the center.  One of the 15' lengths is open on both sides whereas the 13.5' sides and one 15' side all have walls.  The side without the wall could be a yard.  I'm not sure about where the hidden staging would be other than it could enter and exit the layout by having the trains pass through/behind buildings or trees.  Just kicking ideas around.

Erik

[sundowner]

FEC centennial paint scheme.

Erik 

[/quote

There were four of those Locomotive until recently only 447 is left. If Atlas did that scheme with the four numbers that FEC had like they did in HO I be in trouble.

[Erik W]

There were four of those Locomotive until recently only 447 is left. If Atlas did that scheme with the four numbers that FEC had like they did in HO I be in trouble.

I never realized they did those before.  They look pretty sharp.


Erik

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I gotta say that I like the pre-ditchlight era look even better, with the slightly lighter blue and the crazy headlights.

Erik, if you dive in and do FEC, I may have to fly out there and help (on a weekly basis).

[sundowner]

Atlas did make recently 3 numbers of the FEC GP40 in the hurricane logo which are apropriate for the 90's. The 2 GP40-2 they did a decade ago are good to but the first number is the wrong phase.