Trainworx - 40258-03 - Trailer, 40 Foot, Box - Alpha Beta - 500027

Prototype History: 40-foot trailers are still widely used as inter-rail containers. 40 foot is a good length to fit on a 50 foot TOFC flatcar as they provide some room on both ends for safety and sloppy loading. They generally come with a 96" width and are rated for 55,000 pounds. They were never as popular as 48 foot trailers because of the more limited load size. Even 48 foot trailers gave way to 53' models when the laws governing highway transportation changed.

Box vans are known as such for their rectilinear proportions. Their simple design makes them easy to manufacture and maintain.

Road Name History: Goods and Service: Retail Grocery Store Service closed late 1900s

Alpha Beta began as a merchandising concept rather than as a store name.
Albert and Hugh Gerrard had been operating food stores in Southern California since 1900 and had been early adopters of a self-service system in 1914. Their Triangle Grocerteria (at 329 West Second Street, Pasadena) began arranging groceries alphabetically in 1915, the beginning of the “Alpha Beta system”.
The Alpha Beta name was first used for the Pomona store in 1917. By the next year, seven stores were operating under this name. Alpha Beta Food Markets incorporated in 1929.
In 1932, Alpha Beta began operating its first supermarkets under the Wholesale-Retain Food Markets name. Eventually Alpha Beta Ranch Markets were also opened, although the simple Alpha Beta name ultimately was applied to all stores. Twenty of these were operating in 1945.
The company went public in 1956 and grew through the acquisition of the Raisin Markets chain in 1958 and through its drug store division, Hy-Lo, beginning in 1960.
By 1973, Alpha Beta operated over 200 supermarkets and additional 50 coffee shops and drug stores.
The demise of the Alpha Beta name began with the 1988 merger of American Stores with Lucky Stores.

Brand/Importer Information: Trainworx was founded in 1999 by Pat Sanders and is located in Delta Colorado. Their first freight car was the Quad hopper and it was released in 2000. They have been making N scale products ever since. Their website can be found at www.train-worx.com. As of 2016, they have produced 8 different rolling stock body styles as well as a range of different highway vehicles in N Scale. Their limited edition runs have proven a huge success with collectors and modelers enjoy the accuracy of all their products.

Trainworx sells their products both through tradional retail channels as well as directly by phone order. When asked "What prompted you to found Trainworx?", Pat Sanders responded "There was a freight car that hadn't been done in N scale that I just had to have and it didn't look like anyone was ever going to make it."