N Scale Kits - NS081Channel Sided Car Kit - Flatcar, 89 Foot, TOFC - TTX Company

Specific Item Information: WTTX Twin 45' trailers, both facing the same way. TTWX [Flush Deck] Can carry twin 45' trailers or containers KTTX Fixed hitches at each end. Twin 45' trailers both facing the ends of the cars. RTTX Twin 45 / Triple 28. Fixed hitches at each end, as the KTTX, but with additional center hitch to enable three 28' trailers to be carried, or two 45' trailers with center hitch collapsed.

Prototype History: A flatcar (US) (also flat car (US) or flat wagon (UIC)) is a piece of railroad (US) or railway (non-US) rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck mounted on a pair of trucks (US) or bogies (UK), one at each end containing four or six wheels. Occasionally, flat cars designed to carry extra heavy or extra large loads are mounted on a pair (or rarely, more) of bogeys under each end . The deck of the car can be wood or steel, and the sides of the deck can include pockets for stakes or tie-down points to secure loads. Flatcars designed for carrying machinery have sliding chain assemblies recessed in the deck.

Flatcars are used for loads that are too large or cumbersome to load in enclosed cars such as boxcars. They are also often used to transport intermodal containers (shipping containers) or trailers as part of intermodal freight transport shipping.

TOFC (Trailer On Flat Car, a.k.a. piggy-back) cars came is various length to accommodate usually two trailers: 50' for two 24' trailers, 75' for two 35' trailers, 85' for two 40' trailers and 89' for two 45' trailers.

The 89' flats were introduced by the late 1960's and progressively replaced the 85' in the late 1970's given the introduction of 45' trailers. The common "Triple 28'/Twin 45" allowed versatile configurations.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: TTX Company (formerly Trailer Train until 1991) is a leading provider of railcars and related freight car management services to the North American rail industry. TTX's pool of railcars (over 220,000 cars and intermodal wells) is ideal for supporting shippers in the intermodal, automotive, paper & forest, metals, machinery, wind energy and other markets where flatcars, boxcars and gondolas are required.

Owned by North America's leading railroads, TTX's free-running pools provide fungible assets that minimize total empty miles, further lowering costs and minimizing risk for the industry, helping the railroads conserve their capital for other critical infrastructure needs. Customers easily recognize TTX's bright yellow cars as a consistent, high quality, well-maintained fleet that serves many transportation needs.

Brand/Importer Information: N Scale Kits manufacture and sell the widely admired Alan Curtis model range [AC Models and Andersley Models]. Their focus is the intermodal and flatcar kits originally produced by Alan Curtis and AC Models. All cars are manufactured in lead free pewter.

N Scale Kits is located at Minster Chambers, Church Street, Southwell Nottinghamshire, England NG25 0HD.