The Rise of Container Trains

Around the world you'll find the intermodal container train carrying valuable goods through dense urban centers and across rural rugged mountain ranges. These trains are a crucial link in our modern global economy, but it wasn't always like this. Indeed there was a time when container trains were nothing more than an obscure experiment. So where did container trains come from, and how did they rise to become one of the most common ways of shipping anything and everything anywhere you want it?

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[FunAngelo]

It's a boxcar, but the box and the car are seprate now

[kaseycaseyiel]

containers are fun, they are cool rectangles

[pacificostudios]

It is important to remember that there are two kinds of intermodal traffic. North America excels in long-haul shipping, with many containers going from a port on one ocean to a port on another ocean. Japan, Europe, and especially the British Isles, intermodal is a short-haul operation from port to trucking terminal. The average Japanese freight shipment is about six miles! -- From truck to port, and that's it. That's one reason Freightliner was less successful than Dr. Beeching & Co. promised, and why passenger service dominates the British Isles.

[kasparvg]

I like how we all just agreed on a standard box for shipping things in, it's rather convenient.

[Inerturn]

Didn’t know amtrakguy365 was a truck and ship youtuber

[prathamgautam]

5:36 don't forget that india not just run double stack trains on flatbed but also electrified it

[bradleythomasburdentrainta]

1:05 "Or lorry, depending on how British your feeling."

As someone who's developed a British accent in recent years, don't mind if I do! I've actually been using container trucks in my Thomas videos for quite a while now, and those flatbeds are now the most common modern truck to be featured on my goods train consists.

[fluxthelycanroc]

Intermodals (or pig trains as we like to call em) are also some of the most desirable jobs for railcrews. Because you usually just get on double up the train and ride for a few hours without hardly stopping. Every other train and dispatcher knows you dont stop a pig train because outside other bulk commodity trains those are the ones that make the big money

[TheWinnipegRailfan]

Duuude fun fact: containers were actually developed by

[comengsh]

5:32 double stacks are actually pretty rare in australia. outside of the trans-australian railway between adelaide and perth, there isnt much of any double stacks down here. all of the east coast is run with single stack container trains. although, right now there is a project going on called Inland Rail, where they're upgrading the mainline from melbourne to brisbane (including new sections of track being built across central NSW) which will allow double stacks to run in eastern australia for the first time.

[ThompsonSteamtrain]

Every day I always see a Pacific national freight train passing by my hometown in Australia

[OfficialSEICK]

Intermodal containers are greatly efficient. They're quite convenient too. Thanks for documenting the intermodal part of railways.

[AdurianJ]

Being able to double stack containers is what makes cargo rail competitive, if you can only have one container high trains the weight is nowhere near the maximum axle load even on low axle load railways like the 22, 5 ton railways in Europe.
Stora Enso developed the SECU container which is larger and they use it to transport paper on Swedish railways, it utilises the bigger loading gauge "Lastprofil C" and 25 ton axle load to the fullest.

P.s. I'm sorry but your Railway is in another castle !

[EuropeanRailfan-AM]

As an Italian, I can confirm intermodal trains are pretty much everywhere. (Even on my local line before a landslide struck)

[SaraLamontagne]

While Its not the same, the Road-rail system deserves a mention. Basically strapping wheels to the containers and then driving off with them. Their days are almost done, but its a unique take on this.

[Coloribus]

I’m a bit upset that the well cars replaced the boxcars because it’s my favorite rail car but I’m still glad to see people using Boxcars like on the Grimes Branch

[FremontRailMedia]

1:05 I feel British enough to even say: "Cargo carrying diesel-powered motor vehicle".. or "Lorry"

[Pensyfan]

That is the most detailed thumbnail I've ever seen for a train related video. Excellent job!

[TheFirstConcorde]

5:30 OLE in of itself isn’t prohibitive of double-stacked containers and India clearly demonstrates.

[charseraph]

These timeline and explanation videos are fantastic, I love your simple easy-to-follow editing.