This review deals with a USA Trains
articulated TTX 5-unit intermodal set (USA R17150) and multipack
container sets 1 and 4 (USA R1710U and R1710X,
respectively).
SHIPPING
& HANDLING
The items were shipped from RLD Hobbies,
Aurora, Illinois to Perth, Western Australia via USPS. They arrived in three
separate packages. There was slight damage to one of the cars in transit
(a broken piece of plastic). The damage was simple to
fix.
INITIAL
SET-UP
There is some assembly required
(i.e., fastening ladders). It is very straightforward, as the
parts fit together well. Several of the axles had been jolted loose from their
plastic trucks during shipment, so it was necessary to press them back into
place. This is something worth checking, as it is easy to
miss.
Many of the plastic fittings on these cars
are fragile. Handle with care!
The cars are clearly labelled by letter, A
to E. The order in which they are assembled is B at the front, followed by C,
D, E and, finally, A. There are hook-and-loop couplers at one end of each of
the B and A units. The rest of the coupling is done by means of four small
screws.
<formulas>
Coupling between cars C and D.
The screws are a tight fit. One approach
to fitting them involves spraying a small amount of powdered graphite into the
screw hole, placing the washer on top of the hole, engaging the screw, backing
it out and engaging it again, being careful at all times to apply light pressure
only. The amount of patience required to attach the screws will be proportional
to the size of your fingers.
Screwing rolling stock together, while
secure, is not prototypical. It's difficult to see this approach as anything
but a cost-cutting measure.
OPERATION
The cars in this set are approximately 25"
long. They work satisfactorily (i.e., no derailments) when
coupled to a USA SD-40 or a USA GP-38 on a 10' diameter circle using the
standard hook-and-loop couplers. Given the relative inflexibility of the
screwed coupling system, running them on anything much smaller will be
problematic.
A double-stack is a big beast!
L-R: container pin, screw, washer.
The cars do not come with containers; these must be
purchased separately. Container sets 1 and 4 provide a dozen containers in
total: four each of 20', 40' and 50'.
Each container set comes with a bag of
small plastic pins used to secure the containers to the cars, or to each other.
These pins are easy to lose. If you intend to run double-stacks, you may want
to purchase extras.
The base of each car contains eight pairs
of holes designed to accept container pins. The bases of the 50' containers
have six pairs of holes for the pins; the bases of the 20' and 40'
containers have four pairs. The top of
each container, regardless of size, has one hole in each
corner.
The arrangement of holes in cars and
containers allows a number of configurations for both single- and
double-stacking. A double-stacked car requires at least 8 5/8" of clearance -
and that would be barely adequate even if the track and whatever lies above it
(e.g., tunnel portals) are perfectly parallel. Add an extra inch
of clearance unless you are 100% sure of your arithmetic, or like living
dangerously.
Because the car encloses the bottom third
of its container(s), single-stacks don't require container pins
unless the containers hold unusually top-heavy loads. Otherwise, while it
doesn't hurt to use the pins, they're unnecessary.
Single-stacking two 20-footers.
Double-stacking requires use of the pins.
It can be fiddly getting two 20' containers properly seated on a car, but don't
omit the pins if you're stacking another container (or containers)
on top of them. We were able to induce some sway in the top containers of
double-stacked cars by double-heading the SD-40 and the GP-38 and running at
speeds we'd regard as at, or very close to, the acceptable maximum on our
layout. This experimentation suggests the container pin locking system is
adequate for double-stacking when the top container is
unloaded.
Container door
detail.
The level of detail on the containers is
excellent. The operating door mechanisms are very similar to those used on
older USA Trains 40' reefers.
TIPS.
1) It's unnecessary to screw the cars together
unless your track has unusually tight curves and/or steep
gradients.
2) Be wary of double stacking with container pins if the
wind is strong. One owner on MLS has reported a car getting blown
over!
3) When double stacking, the prototypical rule appears to be
shorter container(s) in lower position.
SUMMARY
The coupling system is unfortunate, and
may deter some prospective buyers. Removing these cars from a layout is much
more tedious than it is for cars with more traditional coupling mechanisms. If
you drop a screw or a washer, finding it can be a chore.
The impressive level of detail on the cars
and containers has to be offset against a corresponding degree of fragility. We
prefer our rolling stock to be robust, and we'd accept some diminution in
prototypical accuracy to achieve this goal. That said, beauty is in the eye of
the beholder.
The attraction of container cars is the scope they
provide for interesting operation. The modelling potential is staggering;
everything from ship-to-shore cranes to forklifts, plus all the buildings and
other bits and pieces associated with a container terminal. There are a number
of scenarios that are fun for kids of all ages (e.g., "Does It Fit in the
Container?" or its variation for 3-year-olds, "It WILL Fit in THIS Container
NOW!!!"
If you are inclined to have a bit of fun
with your rolling stock, and can live with the limitations described above, USA
Trains' intermodal cars and containers may be for you.
David Healy.
2007.
