After coal trains, let's focus on intermodal trains operated during the 80s and 90s during the SP/DRGW merger. As far as I can see on VHS about DRGW, mostly seen intermodals cars are : Trailer trains : TOFC 89' flat cars (made by MT in Nscale) Container trains : Maxi III 5 units Gunderson 48' well cars Twinstack (Econostack) 5 units 48' by Gunderson What about spine cars during the '80s ? the '90s ? did the DRGW operated 48' spine cars ? 53' spine cars? thans for your info.
intermodel trains According to the D&RGW ETT's, before D&RGW/SP, Trains 100/101 ran from 1983 through 1989 and Trains 102/103 ran from 1986 through 1989. I have seen video and pics of non-T/COFC freight added on to the 100/101. Someone else will have to fill in the D&RGW/SP years.
Don't forget front runners too. What about when tofc's etc added to the rear end of the Cal. Zephyer? Wasn't the 100/101 the "Rail Blazer"? Site to check with, http://keithsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=1496 http://home.xnet.com/~cmhewitt/photo/index.html http://www.nscaleintermodal.com/ And there is a Yahoo intermodal site you can join for more info.
Buying Alan Curtis Spine cars or not ? I am in desparate need to know whether I should buy today Alan Curtis Spine cars (last day to buy on AC website) TTAX 53ft All-Purpose Spine Car Kit TTAX 48ft All-Purpose Spine Car Kit I want to model SP / DRGW Moffat Road / Tennessee Pass (still to be decided). Time period is 1990-196. Are the Spine cars seen on intermodal trains on those routes during 1990-1996? Deluxe Innovations has announced a 57ft all-purpose Spine car. Has this hit the Moffat / Tennessee Pass routes during the 1990-1996? On Mike's Railblazer website, there is this pic of the Railblazer frain dating August 1988 : what are the 5 first cars : Front runners or TTAX 48ft All-Purpose Spine Cars ? Thanks for your help.
what about Long runners on SP/DRGW ? I forgot about LONG RUNNERS Did SP/DRGW operated such double 89ft Long Runners on Moffat and Tennesse Pass routes during 1990/1996 ? It seems there are 2 possibilities as shown on Alan Curtis Website : "Triple 53" "Triple 57" Which ones would suit my SP/DRGW 1990-1996 project?
(Also posted on the N scale board) All the cars you mentioned are appropriate for the time period specified. The type of cars I was wondering the most about were the 53' spine cars, being that I believe they are the newest of the three car types listed. However, looking through Volume 1 of the "Intermodal Modeler's Guide", there are a few pictures of these particular cars (such as, on pages 27, 28 and 107). Why is this a reliable source? There is a letter from the editor in the front that says "...The articles contained in this volume were originally published in 1994 and 1995..." So, this should mean that all the photos were taken during or before 1994/1995. There are also pictures of 48' spines and drawbar connected "long runners" in this volume. Incidentally, most of these cars were in Trailer Train or TTX livery but were frequently pulled behind SP and DRGW equipment (I don't believe there were any 53' spines in the older TT scheme like many 48' spines were and even some long-runners...specifically "wide body" long-runners in the 161XXX number range). I am not aware of any (multi-purpose) spine cars or long-runner flats decorated for SP or DRGW. Hope this helps! Russ TIP trailer riding on "unit C" of an Alan Curtis 53' spine car P.S. I hope you got your order in! Alans' website says the 48 and 53' spines are all sold out now.
The cars used on the Prospector were cut-down boxcars. Pop the shell off a 40 footer, add side panels to keep the trailers in place, and you're set!
I have not seen a photo of this. 85 foot flatcars were the common car used for TOFC on the Prospector in the sixties.
