Trainworx 85ft Trailer Train flat and UPS Drop Frame Trailers!

[Mark5]

Anyone know when the distinctive UPS trailers came into service? Saw them a lot in the mid-seventies on EL CX-99 and 2nd NY-100. BTW, I put in with Microscale to make the decals for the brown flats. Others might want to do the same. They do them in HO, but don't list them in N. I have the BLMA browns on order.

Frank

Microscale used to have a set - I guess they discontinued it. The set # is 60-552
(I quickly ran down to the train room to make sure I had a set! )

[FrankCampagna]

Yeah, I emailed them, asking them to do it in N. Reply (prompt) was it will be passed on to Chris. Hopefully.

Frank

[James Costello]

So, anyone care to give the "Cliff's Notes" version of the era-appropriatness for the 85ft cars and the various UPS schemes?   (I model 1999 +/- 3 years or so, and a line where UPS stuff was plentiful.)   I know most of the info about the drop trailers is in one my Model Intermodal guides.

Doug, the 85' flats are too early for you. Couple of drop frames should be ok though, but I'll be reading up on the MRing series tonight too.

Hopefully the 28' drop frames follow.

[lashedup]

Microscale used to have a set - I guess they discontinued it. The set # is 60-552
(I quickly ran down to the train room to make sure I had a set! )

So Microscale would technically need to license the logo to stay out of trouble. Not sure they will risk it or not.

[Mark5]

So Microscale would technically need to license the logo to stay out of trouble. Not sure they will risk it or not.

Actually I was responding to the MS TTX brown set. Should be no problems with licensing.

[Mark5]

I'm stoked about all the TT flats coming out - BLMA and now this. Making 1974 modeling "loads" easier! ;D ;D ;D

[jnevis]

Anyone know when the distinctive UPS trailers came into service? Saw them a lot in the mid-seventies on EL CX-99 and 2nd NY-100.

According to Intermodal (HO) Modelers Guide Vol 2:
40' drop-frame trailers were built starting mid-60s/early 70s.  It also says that most were being retired and replaced with 45' boxes at time of writing (97).

[lock4244]

If the mfg's run out of prototypes that TT had, there may be hope that a CN 81' COFC flat will come someday to N! One more down  

Great news and I think I'll get a few for use on my CDN trains in the late 1980's. I bet they never ran up here, or did so infrequently (likely through the Detroit / Windsor and Port Huron / Sarnia gateways on the barges or via the Niagara Frontier), but I need something on my trains that carry pigs. Two questions, 1) is this a flat or channel side car, and 2) was there a variant that was converted to COFC service?

Hopefully BLO-MAH will do their F89 in the TT scheme so I can get a few of those, too.

[lock4244]

I hope they body mount the couplers on these. The truck mounts on the 86' boxes were a total fail... droopier than a cooked spaghetti noodle in a sauna.

[Denver Road Doug]

Doug, the 85' flats are too early for you. Couple of drop frames should be ok though, but I'll be reading up on the MRing series tonight too.

Hopefully the 28' drop frames follow.

Yeah, I figured the flats were out.    I might buy one for mow svc or something.   But yes, def interested in the trailers.

[lock4244]

Look familiar (down to the number)?

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=50646

[Dave V]

I'm all over these!  Whether hauling UPS trailers or CR Trailvans, this is goodness.

[Midniteflyer]

These cars will have Fox valley wheels and body mount MT couplers. Pat does alot of research on his releases. As far as the truck mounted couplers on his boxcars, he posted that he would body mount them for you if you requested it.

[James Costello]

So, from the Model Railroading "Introduction to UPS Intermodal Equipment - Part 1" by Carter Osborne (as reprinted in Intermodal Modeler's Guide Vol 2):

*UPS began purchasing 40' drop frame trailers in 1964 and continued into the 70s for both over-the-road and rail use
*Rail use trailers were built with an external stiffener approx 18" down from the roof
*Rail trailers numbered UPSZ 84400-88299 (except 85250-85699) and UPOZ 80300-80999.
*Rail trailers were built in two configurations, with and without pintle hooks.
*They were all originally classed as UPSZ and had UPSZ and the number in the upper front corner of the trailer.
*UPS changed the designation of the trailers with pintle hooks to UPOZ and simply replaced the "S" with an "O" on affected trailers.
*Although they have since been removed, through the early nineties trailers with pintle hooks (UPOZ) wore yellow vertical stripes on the front corners and rear door frame. Trailers without pintle hooks (UPSZ) wore red stripes on the front corners and rear door frame.
* At the time of writing, the 40' drop frame fleet was being removed from rail service and replaced by 45' straight frame trailers.
*Trailers assessed and retired, or if structurally sound, they are repainted and renumbered (a 6 prefix) with over-the-road graphics for use in captive Trailer Delivery & Pickup trailers.
*UPS converted 500 trailers in 1994 and the disposition of remaining fleet evaluated annually.

(article is probably available for download on Trainlife).

There has been much discussion on the Yahoo MFCL and Intermodal lists over the years, so I'll see if I can pin down some dates for the application and removal of the stripes.

As far as the Trainworks 85' flat goes, the TTX reporting mark essentially didn't survive the "Twin 45" era and the 85' length wasn't suitable for rebuilding into either a Twin 45 of Triple 28 flat like their 89' brothers (which went from TTX to WTTX or TTWX for the all-purpose flats). Like anything, there is always exceptions, but my guide would be that these didn't survive the TT to TTX transition of the early 90s. If you model the TTX era, the MTL 89' flat with TTX reporting marks would be a more common "rare" bird in a sea of RTTX, TTWX, TTEX flats.... but this flat is perfect for the earlier brown and yellow TT periods. From memory 45' trailers were legalized in 82, so by the mid 80s the need to mount these Twin 45 style was getting high....

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks for the info James!  I'm glad to see this release, but I'm also a bit relieved that they're out of my era.

Do you (or does anyone else) know if any of the 85' flats were re-branded to chain flats (ITTX) or pipe flats (PTTX)?

-gfh