Long "intermodal" German train

[chadbag]

I put all my "modern" container flatcars and piggyback pocket wagons behind a Trix BR 189 (N scale).   Counting each articulated wagon as 2 cars, there were 27 cars if I counted correctly.   The length is about half my loop on my 4x8 table.  The locomotive had no trouble pulling the cars but several of them have a lot of axle friction and soem of the articulated pairs have friction at the middle point of articulation where some little flaps slide on each other, so the whole train does not make it around the loop without a few wagons derailing a little.  You can hear when they do and it starts to drag.  Usually an articulated wagon or two and/or a couple of the HobbyTrain flatcars that don't roll all that well on the track by themselves.

 

I guess I need to investigate each one and fix any problems the axles have with friction and make the articulation point flaps not bind on each other.

 

Wagons are from Fleischmann, Trix, REE, and HobbyTrain

 

The train on the inner part of the double track.

 

[gavino200]

Where does that term "intermodal" come from, Chad? Does it just mean "Freight"? 

[roadstar_na6]

Somebody from my club fixed that issue with the Hobbytrain cars, I'll see if I can find it and edit it into this post.

 

EDIT: I just saw that he had problems with the outer bogies derailing, but maybe that helps you as well 🙂

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Edited February 20, 2021 by roadstar_na6

[chadbag]

40 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

Where does that term "intermodal" come from, Chad? Does it just mean "Freight"? 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_freight_transport

 

basically it means transport using multiple means.   Typically container based or truck trailer based (where part of the transport is the trailer on trains as a piggyback).   
 

intermodal because it typically is truck carried, train carried, and often ship carried for part of its journey. 

Edited February 20, 2021 by chadbag

[chadbag]

37 minutes ago, roadstar_na6 said:

Somebody from my club fixed that issue with the Hobbytrain cars, I'll see if I can find it and edit it into this post.

 

EDIT: I just saw that he had problems with the outer bogies derailing, but maybe that helps you as well 🙂

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thanks.  I had multiple problems.  And not just with articulated cars.  Some plain HobbyTrain flat cars with containers don’t roll that well. 
 

thanks. 

[chadbag]

@roadstar_na6  does he have any textual description or video of what he was doing and what the problem is?  

[roadstar_na6]

The cars kept derailing on his R1 curves and cutting away that thing on the bogie helped because it got rid of the issue that the coupler assembly hit the bogie. Other than that he didn't really say anything about it.

Edited February 20, 2021 by roadstar_na6

[disturbman]

What are those containers without a roof?

[chadbag]

6 hours ago, disturbman said:

What are those containers without a roof?

 

They seem to be for wood products -- wood chips etc.  When I first got them I looked it up on the web and found this:  https://www.nieten.com/en/history  .  Many of the containers say "NietenFracht" on them.

 

I also have similarly marked ones (InnoFreight) and similar sizes but with firm roofs on them (also say InnoFreight but also Cargo or DB Schenker etc).

 

[chadbag]

I found another box of "mixed freight" from Trix with 3 "pocket wagons" (Piggyback with trailer including a "Beate Uhse" trailer 😆 ), and two container flat cars.  So I added those on to the end. The DB BR 189 from Trix can still pull it but has started to struggle.  Mostly I think because of the friction in the bad performing cars I mentioned above, which I had not had a chance to remediate yet...    The inner longer train in the pic below...

 

[Jaco3011]

Are those small innofreight containers 10ft UIC "halves"?

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, Jaco3011 said:

Are those small innofreight containers 10ft UIC "halves"?

 

IDK.  They are about the right size for that as I have another one that has 3 20ft UIC tank/frame containers on the same size flat car.  It looks like with proper placement you could fit 6 of these small containers on.

ETA:  I don't think I could fit 6 on a flat car.  Maybe 5.  I put one of the larger ones on top of two of the smaller ones and the two smaller ones are longer.  I am guessing about 12' approximately.

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by chadbag

[chadbag]

A couple with enclosed containers that are otherwise similar (plus some frame/tanker containers).  (Ignore the US double stack cars in the background on the rear track)

 

[roadstar_na6]

InnoFreight is actually an Austrian company and they are indeed specialized in transporting wood chips.

[chadbag]

5 minutes ago, roadstar_na6 said:

InnoFreight is actually an Austrian company and they are indeed specialized in transporting wood chips.

 

I just found this:  https://www.innofreight.com/en/companies/company/

 

Despite trying to Google "Inno freight" earlier many times and getting some Malaysian company.  This time the one in Austria came up.

 

They sure run all sorts of stuff -- SBB CARGO, DB Schenker, etc labeled containers.  Plus the open containers for wood products.

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by chadbag