Trainworx - 40259-02 - Trailer, 40 Foot, Box - PIE Nationwide - V3824

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: P.I.E./PACIFIC INTERMOUNTAIN EXPRESS became the largest trucking company in the world in 1956. The story starts in 1927 when Ray V. Lilenquest joined his brothers Bill and Les to run two Model A Fords providing service from Pocatello, ID, to Idaho Falls. Many changes occurred over the early years, with P.I.E. finally taking shape from three consolidated companies in 1940. By 1946 P.I.E. had 535 employees and was growing rapidly through many acquisitions in the late 1940s and 1950s. With the purchase of West Coast Freight and System Tank Lines in 1954, P.I.E became the largest hauler of petroleum products in the world. Service extended from the west coast to St. Louis and Chicago. P.I.E. employed virtually every type of available road equipment, and also designed some of their own dromedary tractors. By the mid 1960s P.I.E. extended service to the east coast through more acquisitions, having 67 terminals in 29 states. In 1973 the company was purchased by IU International, and in 1983 merged with Ryder Truck Lines, forming Ryder/P.I.E Nationwide. In 1985 the company was sold again, with the name shortened to P.I.E. Nationwide. By 1989 loses were staggering, and the company was sold again, absorbing Transcon Lines. Loses continued, and in 1990 P.I.E. filed Chapter XI bankruptcy. An attempt to scale back operations failed, with one of America’s most famous common carriers closing their doors forever, but leaving many fond memories.

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."