O TT Flatcar w/ 40′ Trailer

The
trailer-on-flat-car, or TOFC, concept actually predates the trucking
industry. For a brief period in the 1800s, Long Island farmers could
ship their loaded wagons to market on a local railroad. The modern use
of railroads to ship loaded trailers began on the Chicago Great Western
Railroad (the “Corn Belt Route”) in 1935 and became widespread in the
1950s under the leadership of a former GM executive named Eugene Ryan
and early supporters that included the Pennsy, New Haven, Chicago
& Eastern Illinois, Burlington, and Southern Pacific railroads.

Originally a large number of
trailers were railroad-owned, and loading and unloading was done
“circus-style” by driving the trailers onto a string of flatcars from
one end. A major advance came in the 1960s with the advent of the first
side-lift cranes, dramatically speeding up loading and unloading. Today
the combination of trailer and container shipments, known collectively
as intermodal, constitutes the largest class of freight on American
railroads.

MTH Premier O Scale freight
cars are the perfect complement to any manufacturer’s scale
proportioned O Gauge locomotives. Whether you prefer to purchase cars
separately or assemble a unit train, MTH Premier Rolling Stock has the
cars for you in a variety of car types and paint schemes.

Virtually every sturdy car is
offered in two car numbers which makes it even easier than ever to
combine them into a mult-car consist. Many of MTH’s Premier Rolling
Stock offerings can also operate on the tightest O Gauge curves giving
them even more added versatitlity to your layout.