Since its hard to find some SP piggyback flats, I was wondering how easy it would be to make my own with a microtrains flatcar and a mini metal works aerovan trailers. Has anyone ever tried it?
You don't mention what era you are modeling, so I am going to wing it and say since I believe the Classic Metal Works trailers are 32 footers(I model more modern intermodal), your modeling the 1940's and/or 50's. From what I have read, the 32' trailer was common by 1950, so a 50' foot flat car would be the flat to use for the most part, or a 55' flat as well. From some of the books I have, Southern Pacific had also acquired 250 Clejan flats in the last half of the 50's, if your modeling that time frame. To secure the trailers to the 50' flats, screw jacks were used to hold up the trailers, and lots of tie downs to keep them in place. Bridge plates were used between the flats and trailers backed onto them. I am guessing there are all kinds of images on the web to show how this was accomplished if you've no reference materials. Now to answer your question, it would be easy. It just depends on how much detail you wish to put into the project. From something like the Atlas 50' flat with trailers, all the way to modeling all the tie downs, bridge plates, etc. http://www.ultimatenscale.com/ makes decks and bridge plates for early intermodal, as well as flats and trailers that look to be cast in resin, though I've never ordered from them. There is also a brief history of intermodal page too. Check out the website and it might help you with what your looking for. Hope this helps.
I'll add that that you might not to use a cast metal trailer. All that weight that high on a flat car and she may have trouble staying upright around curves. Not that you'll be operating at Lionel speeds, but it's something to think about.
Ah, okay. I saw "metal" and thought the worst. I model the 70s and 80s so I never had a chance to them out.
Maybe you've seen it already, but Kalmbach has a magazine out, "Trains of the 1950s", that has an SP piggyback article. It's a reprint of a 1956 "Trains" magazine article with a couple of additions. In 1956, most are silver rib-side trailers of various types (but not completely). The flats seem to be generally 50-footers rigged the same way as earlier, with a couple of useful side-view photos given.
The ACF Model A trailer hitch was introduced in 1955. This is the first screw driven hitch locked onto the trailer's kingpin, eliminating the need for all the tie downs and jacks, According to "The Model Railroaders Guide to Intermodal Equipment and Operations" by Jeff Wilson. Pennsy and other railroads started using the new hitch immediately, and about half of all intermodal cars had this hitch by 1958. So there is an overlap that might be interesting to model as well.
