{"product_id":"scaletrains-40089-ho-scale-rivet-counter-ps-trinity-5-unit-backpacker-well-car-bn-63908","title":"ScaleTrains 40089 HO Scale Rivet Counter PS-Trinity 5 Unit Backpacker Well Car BN 63908","description":"\u003ch1\u003eScaleTrains 40089 HO Scale Rivet Counter PS-Trinity 5 Unit Backpacker Well Car BN 63908\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroduced in 1986 by longtime builder Pullman-Standard, the “Backpacker” well car is a 5-unit, articulated car featuring 40’ wells. All five wells can handle a 40’, 45’, or 48’ container loaded in the top position, with 53’ containers “staggered” in every other well in the top position. The Backpacker is distinguished from other intermodal cars by its low-profile design. Many continue in service today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bodies are die-cast metal for optimum weight and performance. Like all Rivet Counter freight cars, the “Backpacker” features photo-etched stainless-steel see-through walkways, wire grab irons, die-cast metal knuckle couplers, trucks with rotating bearing caps, and much more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFEATURES:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEra: 1987 to early 2000s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeries 63900 to 63909; built 2\/1987, P-S Lot 2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFully-assembled\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultiple road numbers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArticulated 5-unit well car built by Pullman-Standard (P-S), later Trinity (TRN)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapable of carrying 1 x 40’ or 2 x 20’ containers per well, with up to 48’ long container in top position per well (53’ containers possible in top position, staggered in every other well)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiecast bodies for optimum weight and performance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhoto-etched stainless-steel see-through walkways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWire grab irons on side and end sills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDurable Celcon corner uprights and vertical grabs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed floors and well interior sidewalls\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeparate Inter-Box Connector (IBC) details are included for loading in IBC holder boxes on the car deck\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFactory-applied metal grab irons, coupler cut levers, and trainline hoses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntricate multi-piece brake plumbing and rigging\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSemi-scale coupler boxes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDurable body-mounted die-cast metal semi-scale lower shelf Type E couplers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighly detailed Barber S-2 70-ton trucks with 33” wheels at ends; Barber S-2 100-ton trucks with finely rendered raised foundry data; rotating black Timken three-sided bearing caps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinted reporting mark and road number on all six trucks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e36” machined metal wheels with accurately profiled .110\" wide wheel tread used on articulation point trucks and 33” machined metal wheels with accurately profiled .110\" wide wheel tread used on outboard trucks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOperates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinting and lettering legible even under magnification\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeighted to Industry standards for reliable operation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePackaging safely stores model and single 40’ or 2 x 20’ container loaded per well (containers not included)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOperator series 40’ Containers available separately\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimum radius: 22” (without customer-applied brake details parts installed)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended radius: 26” (with included customer-applied brake detail parts installed)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNOTE: Road number may vary from picture shown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the late 1970s, a transportation revolution took shape with the development of the double-stack well car, a collaborative effort between ACF Industries and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Recognizing the advantages of this innovation, numerous freight car builders swiftly joined the fray, catering to the burgeoning demand. Early designs, such as those pioneered by ACF for SP, as well as offerings from Thrall and Gunderson, featured bulkheads and position-able stops, called \"flippers\" to secure containers in the uppermost position. However, these features added extra weight and maintenance requirements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the mid-80s, with double-stack traffic on the rise, well-car designs underwent further evolution. In 1986, Pullman-Standard introduced the \"Backpacker\" well car, a product of Youngstown Steel Door's design. This articulated 5-unit car, manufactured at Pullman-Standard's Bessemer, AL facility, boasted 40’ wells with a tapered, low-profile shape. Diverging from earlier designs, the Backpacker eliminated bulkheads, relying instead on Inter-Box Connectors (IBCs) akin to those used in securing containers on ships. This innovation reduced tare weight, ultimately enhancing fuel efficiency for railroads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInitially, the Backpacker had limitations on container loading, with the middle three wells unable to handle pairs of 20’ containers due to their weight. However, later production models addressed this issue with reinforced wells, allowing for the loading of pairs of 20’ containers across all units. Furthermore, all five units could accommodate containers ranging from 40’ to 48’ in the top position, with staggered 53’ containers possible in alternating wells.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Backpacker design garnered significant attention, particularly from Trailer Train, leading to multiple orders in the latter half of the 1980s. Despite Pullman-Standard's absorption by Trinity Industries, the design remained unchanged, albeit with Trinity logos alongside P-S branding. Burlington Northern notably acquired a fleet of Backpackers, painted in their distinctive Cascade Green, defying the trend of railroad reliance on Trailer Train equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost Backpackers arrived in Trailer Train yellow, adorned with \"TT\" logos and branding. Some featured additional logos for specific steamship lines or railroads, such as \"K\" Line, RailBridge Corporation, Maersk, or Southern Pacific Railroad. However, by the early 1990s, the practice of sub-lettering diminished, and Trailer Train transitioned to TTX Co., adopting a new black-and-white striped \"speed\" logo. Over time, TTX evolved its branding, eventually unveiling a stylized logo in Tuscan red in 2008.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite their relative obscurity among the broader fleet of well-cars owned by TTX, most Backpackers remain in service, proving valuable for international container traffic handling 20’ and 40’ containers. Their durability and utility continue to make them viable assets in contemporary freight transportation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ScaleTrains","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48994306851029,"sku":"SXT40089","price":154.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0520\/1972\/4454\/files\/scaletrains-40089-ho-scale-rivet-counter-ps-trinity-5-unit-backpacker-well-car-bn-63908.jpg?v=1723471298","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterosehobbies.com\/products\/scaletrains-40089-ho-scale-rivet-counter-ps-trinity-5-unit-backpacker-well-car-bn-63908","provider":"White Rose Hobbies","version":"1.0","type":"link"}