50 years of innovation

Railway Age, April, 2005

From TrucTrain to Trailer Train to TTX, Railway Age has chronicled the events and equipment developments that revolutionized rail freight. Here are the highlights, as reported in our pages the past half-century.

November 15, 1954 * The Pennsylvania has entered into an agreement with the Rail-Trailer Company to begin piggyback hauling of trailers of trucking companies. The railroad will continue to handle rail-billed freight in its own trailers, and is extending this service to St. Louis and vicinity and to the Wheeling-Steubenville area.

Jan. 10, 1955 * Inauguration by the Pennsylvania on February 1 of a new form of "TrucTrain" service, to provide rail transport between New York and Chicago, and Pennsylvania and Chicago, has been announced by James M. Symes, president. Two hundred especially built flat cars, each 75 ft. long, will carry the trailers in pairs on the railroad's fastest merchandise trains.

March 7, 1955 * Long-distance rail movement for solid trains of motor common carrier trailers began March 3, when the Pennsylvania initiated its new piggyback service between New York and Chicago. Two freight trains, each loaded with approximately 100 trailers, made the initial move between the terminal cities.

September 19, 1955 * Patronage of the Pennsylvania's TrucTrain service by motor common carriers more than doubled in the first six months of operation.

December 5, 1955 * Beginning November 14, the Norfolk & Western began piggybacking common carrier trailers in interline movements with the Pennsylvania--the first such arrangement among railroads.

December 26, 1955 * PRR, Rail-Trailer Co. Form T-O-F-C Firm with Car Pool: Entrance into the field of highway trailer transportation by rail was announced last week by the newly organized Trailer Train Company, which will provide railroads with special flat cars for transporting trailers in local and interchange service on a national basis. Also, it is planned that the company will provide a new type railroad car for the purpose. The Trailer Train Company elected James P. Newell, vice-president of the Pennsylvania, as president. Eugene F. Ryan was elected vice-president and general manager. He is president of Rail-Trailer Company, which provides liaison between common carrier truck lines and railroads joining in piggyback service, and operates terminal facilities in railroad yards. The new company has arranged to purchase 300 75-ft. trailer-carrying flat cars from the PRR, and 200 more from Van Car Company, subsidiary of Rail-Trailer, with which to begin operations.

"These modern cars and the new type of car will be operated by Trailer Train Company as a pool to provide a national service over railroads, much the same as private companies provide pools of refrigerator cars for transporting perishables from coast to coast," Mr. Newell explained. "With transportation of common carrier highway trailers well established on several railroads, it is obvious the next step will be through service beyond terminals of single railroads. In fact, interline service is already operating on a limited scale. Trailer Train's car pool will solve the problem of interchanging railroad equipment, while at the same time providing the means of securing maximum service from the new type car we will soon announce.

"Formation of the new company," Mr. Newell continued, "will contribute substantially to development of the various types of trailer-on-flat-car service and particularly the coordinated service for common carrier trucking companies, with the many benefits for the public. The new type car, and more effective car supply and distribution, will further expand this new and rapidly growing form of transportation."

January 16, 1956 * Trailer Train Company will begin operations about March 1. The firm has ordered 1,000 new-type flat cars, each of which will carry one truck trailer, from ACF Industries. The 35-ft., 2-axle flat cars are specially developed to transport highway truck trailers in railroad on-line and interchange piggyback service. Pending delivery of the new-type cars, Trailer Train has arranged to purchase 500 75-ft. trailer-carrying flat cars from the Pennsylvania and the Van Car Company. Trailer Train is owned 25% by the PRR, 25% by Rail Trailer, and that the remaining 50% interest is for sale to other railroads.

June 4, 1956 * The Missouri Pacific, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas and the Frisco have joined the Pennsylvania and Norfolk & Western railroads in the Trailer Train pooling of piggyback cars on a national basis.

November 5, 1956 * The Boston & Maine, the Burlington and the Wabash have joined the five other roads participating in the Trailer Train Company pool of specially designed flat cars. A fleet of 530 such cars is now reported in the pool.

May 5, 1958 * Trailer Train Company claims that its 916 flatcars are now carrying some 40 per cent of the nation's total piggyback freight package. Trailer Train is carrying up to 20,000 truck trailers a week, the company said in a second anniversary statement. Added Trailer Train President J.P. Newell: "The first two years of Trailer Train's operation have dearly demonstrated the advantages of a pool of flatcars for piggyback service. Car requirements of member railroads have been met promptly and effectively from the pool and standardization of cars and tie-down devices has made possible large scale interchange of piggyback equipment between railroads for the first time."