I know very little about intermodal container operations. I am adding a small section to my layout for an intermodal area...about 2 square feet. I have all of the requisite parts...containers, loaders, cranes, trailers etc. Now for some simple questions. 1. Are there any container yards that exist without rail facilities...i.e. for storage? 2. Are there any with only a single track? 3. How many containers are typically stacked at yards? Is there an actual legal limit based on weight? 4. I would assume such a facility would have a small yard office, trailer storage area, container area, parking area, loading area, repair facility. Anything I am missing? 5. I am really pressed for space so it is likely this will not be completely prototypical. Suggestions, photos, references will be greatly appreciated! Steve E.
The new KCS intermodal facility is now open in Kendalton, Texas. So far there is not much out there. Just a single lead, some stacks of containers and some loaders. This will probably change as things grow.
Answers: 1. Are there any container yards that exist without rail facilities...i.e. for storage? - YES - all over the place - in larger cities there will be individual (isolated) container yards that support a larger facilities. 2. Are there any with only a single track? - YES - in some places where there is only room for a few cars and others that can hold an entire train 3. How many containers are typically stacked at yards? Is there an actual legal limit based on weight? - I thought that there was a limit of 8 high of certain container types for 40' containers - someone else may know more - 53' containers I believe were only 5-6 high - but I could be wrong 4. I would assume such a facility would have a small yard office, trailer storage area, container area, parking area, loading area, repair facility. Anything I am missing? - also might have racks to store chassis as well 5. I am really pressed for space so it is likely this will not be completely prototypical. Suggestions, photos, references will be greatly appreciated! - the best example that I can think of is UP's GLOBAL I in Chicago just southwest of downtown - old perishable yard that you pass by on Metra and a very odd shape. Also Iowa Interstate's yard Northeast of Newton, Iowa would be easily modelable. The Iowa Interstate yard used to support a couple of Maytag plants (now closed) and still is used for both TOFC and COFC using a Piggypacker.
IMHO...The bottom left quadrant of Global I would be doable on a smaller scale (compressed) layout. A single line facility looks allright to me...just sayin.
A lot, most? cites do not allow tandem trailers beyond a certain point. They need places to drop of the 2nd trailer. The one here is shared with a container facility. It is a bare bones yard: Allston, Boston, MA - Google Maps You can zoom in at least 2 more levels. It becomes clear they share the space with general freight cars. If you look to the left there is a GP of some sort working the yard.
Thank you Thank you Steve for asking the question. I also would like to include intermodal on my layout and had similar questions to what you asked. The responses are great, very informative. Thank you all.
I ran across a dozen intermodal yards in the Chicago land area while looking at Google maps for modern day industries and associated track work. In answer to your questions you will find everything that you mentioned and more including small and large facilities, stacking of trailers, single track, double track (side by side) and double track (split for truck traffic). There seems to be no wrong way to set up an intermodal yard or container facility. This may be due in part to many yards being converted from or still handling TOFC loads using spine cars. Intermodal / container freight is one of the biggest modern day industries using the rails.:tb-cool: Jerry
I found them too. Many thanks for the inspiration from everyone! One interesting thing is to look at the yards in time using Google Earth. They change dramatically over time and frequently become more...or less...disorganized. Steve
Thanks to all for the quick responses. Anybody have an definitive answer on how many high to stack each length? Steve E.
More than you want to Know: http://api.ning.com/files/2qFStEB-F...ninM8JgrbO*nkyfpS0lAyTw/fermi_stress_test.pdf Conclusion: Stacking ISO containers 10 high on land is reasonable, and stacks as high as 12 may be possible depending on the type of container purchased and on the loading of the container with Off-Axis detector elements. For a final detector design, good engineering practice would require that the corner posts of the selected containers be loaded to failure to more accurately determine the safety factor of the stacked array. ??????????????? Most container stackers only go Five high ....... ???
Wow...no kidding. I'll have my wife check the math! She likes that sort of thing. 5 seems reasonable...I haven't checked to see if the container loaders I got fro you will reach that high. Thanks again! steve
Here is a minimal intermodal yard I pass over when flying into Detroit: Google Maps Or for the true wide range of intermodal services yard is this new NS yard in Bethlehem: Google Maps containers, Roadrailers, bulk container car load, and lumber transfer setup..
You can only stack them as high as your equipment allows you to. To stack them 10 or 12 high you need a really big crane. One much bigger than your yard. To suggest a bigger yard use the containers as the backdrop. I've seen an article where a guy scanned his containers and just stacked them in a photo program and glued that image to foamcore and used that as the backdrop to his yard.
Every terminal and port operates under their own working rules. I work for a container terminal in Seattle, and how we work is different than other terminals in Seattle. Even more different are the "off-dock" CY's. We generally don't go any higher than 4-high, with an occasional 5-high for empty stacks. You see some of the off-dock's going 7-8 high with their empties, some on gravel no less. Best thing to do is to focus on a facility/terminal, and stick to it. We operate top-picks and Rubber-tired Gantries (RTG's) here, where some of the terminals in Tacoma use Straddle-carriers, which will make the yard layout and stacking arrangements completely different than ours. I guess that's what makes it so interesting.
One more consideration for how high to stack them: Balance / proportions. Try to keep things in relative proportion to the rest of the scene / area. I'm guessing 3 to 5 high is optimum for most scenes.
