Tracks Ahead: Road Railers

Preview of the Milwaukee Public Television - produced television series Tracks Ahead, distibuted by Janson Media.

[CapNHector]

I remember hearing that some shippers actually liked Roadrailers because the trailers were virtually impregnable when made up into a consist. You couldn’t open the doors when the ICC bumper was up for rail travel, and you couldn’t get the bumper down when the trailer was coupled to another trailer.

So, unless someone physically carved their way through the side of the trailer, the contents were inaccessible while traveling between terminals.

[forry]

So sad that the use has went away to almost nothing, but double stack is hard to compete with an Amtrak's use pissed off railroads who did not like the freight competition. Triple Crown gave me my start in business, not just pulling road trailers back in 1991, but in dust control as I was one of 3 owner ops that pulled their tanker trailer. I have pulled the old style trailers and the adapter trailers, just wish I had photos of them. I worked a lot of the TCS derailment/trailer recoveries over the years. Sure miss that work.

[oubrioko]

BNSF's Ice Cold Express (ICE) no longer operates as a Roadrailer train. Occasionally, you might see ICE trailers operating as standard refrigerated intermodal TOFC traffic. Traffic levels for the ICE Roadrailer train was highly seasonal. It could be relatively high during specific California fruit/produce harvests, but traffic levels often fell sharply during the off-months.

Note: BNSF still handles Triple Crown Services' Fort Wayne-Kansas City-Dallas roadrailer trains between K.C. and Dallas.

[joekabira]

Thumbs up for the innovation of the design

[AgentMulder]

Awesome! Triple Crown alright and Conrail engines alright! I had to look up on Google how they put the trailers together! Fascinating piece of rail kit. I think Schneider use them too. Great video from 'The Vault' 😎🏆3×👑

[oubrioko]

Correct. Only Triple Crown Services (TCS) continues to operate Roadrailers. Most of the TCS rail network is indeed provided by its parent company: Norfolk Southern. Minneapolis, Toronto and Dallas are served by way of Union Pacific, Canadian National, and BNSF respectively.

BNSF's Ice Cold Express ReeferRailers and Swift's Roadrailers eventually began riding on flatcars as standard TOFC intermodal, after traffic levels were deemed too volatile to continue scheduled dedicated trains.

[bobby]

Been there done that 😎 even opened many of Amtrak’s yards too .

[Ferrocarril_Chicago]

It seems that road railers are rarely seen anymore.

[FutureEngineer]

This is definetely a great alternative to intermodal transport. I'm sure this make easier work for the engineer because he doesn't have to worry about slack in between the cars. He can just start up his train and go.

[upking]

Only 2 of these trains are left in service, NS 255 and 256. Runs from Detroit - Kansas City. It will be abolished soon by NS.

[Maximilian]

Never knew Amtrak used Road Railer Trailers

[ydave]

I’m gonna laugh if I see the trailer number on one of these is the same as I’m pulling today.

[jmm]

Amtrak still uses Road Railers on some of their passenger trains, depending on which train uses it. Swift no longer uses them and the Ice Cold Express trailers are seen with the connection tongues torch off. It would be reasonable for other trucking companies to utilize this setup.

[Dp]

3.5 days from L.A. to New York is faster than an owner operator like me can legally do it. It takes at least 4.5 days to get from L.A. to N.Y. legally in a fully loaded truck because of the speed limit in California, the traffic leaving L.A., but even if you left at night you are still held up by the Rockies, weather and traffic, and Hours of service. My Rate to pull a 40, 000lbs dry load to New York would include Tolls and Turnpike Fees, and come out to about 7, 700, or roughly $2.20/mi.

[amtraklover]

Not to far from where I live, NS has a yard where they put there RoadRailers together. Trains there are pretty long and it's kinda funny how SWIFT and Amtrak no longer use these

[Cnw]

I loaded a couple of these where I work at FedEx Ground! 😁

[isaiahkaulaity]

A nightmare for the modern hobo. Nowhere to ride on these things. Lol

[willillybab]

This is ONE EXCELLENT IDEA !
Moving freight by train is the best way because costs are lower due to less friction, but trucks are best for delivery, so this is the best way to move cargo when diesel is over $10 per gallon, something that we have not gotten to yet, but will soon.

[bamboozledguy]

Wow nice video, Roadrailers are cool.

[tom]

Swift trailers are MUCH safer with flanged wheels under them... :-)