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226:, hooks holding the railwheel set above the road surface released. Then the operator would move the valve to inflate the two airbags used for rail mode. These air bags were similar to those used in passenger rail cars at the time. After being fully transferred, the trailer would be fully level and ready for connection to the next trailer in the train. A similar system was trialed in the UK, though the concept proved unsuccessful, partly due to the reduction in load volume required to fit inside the UK's smaller
222:'s RoadRailers introduced in 1955. The railroad wheelsets attached to the aft portion of the trailer were lowered pneumatically by activating a control valve on the left rear of the trailer. To transfer from highway mode to rail mode, the trailer driver would position the trailer over tracks laid into a paved rail yard. First the operator would activate the valve to exhaust air from the airbags that supported the trailer in the highway mode. In the fully lowered or
36:
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274:, operated by Bi-Modal subsidiary Road-Rail Transportation Company. The concept was to offer customers rapid freight service that would be competitive with traditional over-the-road service. Dedicated trains left Buffalo and Highbridge each evening, arriving early the next morning. The line was eventually shut down after never establishing enough key customers to utilize the service. In 1992,
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The primary reason that the original RoadRailer concept was not viable was the weight penalty imposed on the trailers because of the attached railroad wheelset. This was resolved in later designs which removed the integrated wheelset by having a dedicated rail bogie assembly that stayed in the rail
238:
which happened to have track in the street, demonstrating the flexibility of the system. Another note was that a RoadRailer train did not have a caboose, which at the time was still required for freight trains. A box was designed with a yellow strobe light, and equipment for monitoring air pressure
233:
Throughout the early 1980s various railroads experimented with the RoadRailer concept to determine if the equipment would be sufficiently durable to endure railroad use. The positive attributes of the RoadRailer were its exceptionally smooth ride, light weight and low capital costs to establish a
175:
at one end and a connector plate at the other end. The connector plate slid into a female receptacle on the rear of the trailer in front and was secured with a steel pin. At the head of a Road Railer train there was an adaptor truck equipped with one fifth wheel and one regular
234:
rail yard. Since no flatcars were involved, no crane systems were needed to transfer the trailers between modes. During one demonstration test a train of RoadRailers was broken down in the middle of an industrial street in
292:, remained a user of RoadRailer until August 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains have been replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service, before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.
726:
167:
that could be lowered into position when the trailer was pulled behind a train. More modern roadrailers did not include integrated railroad wheels, but rode on
148:
The advantage of using roadrailers was their ability to be used directly behind other freight (or even passenger) equipment without the use of trailer
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that do double-duty, having served as articulation points between multiple trailers in a train. Each regular truck is equipped with one
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under the
Trailerail brand. Contractual difficulties saw the service cease until resuming in November 1994. It was extended to
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199:, roadrailer freight trains were much lighter and therefore were more energy efficient than traditional intermodal trains.
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in August 1990. However a permanent service did not begin until 1993 with the introduction of an
Adelaide to
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808:
A view of the tailgate end of an Amtrak Mark V RoadRailer; photographed in
Winslow, Arizona in March, 1999
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on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allowed trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of
884:
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began a trial of RailRoaders to carry mail attached to passenger trains. It was deemed unsuccessful.
239:
through the brake line was designed to be installed in the unused coupler of the last car. Later, as
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RoadRailers were built by the Bi-Modal
Corporations in the early 1980s located in
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In 1991, the RoadRailer concept was purchased by Wabash
National Corporation.
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at each end. Because the truck (bogie) was significantly lighter than a rail
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system done at the nearby Bi-Modal factory. This was a modern up-date of
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tried their use experimentally, but ultimately discontinued them.
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were phased out, railroads moved to their current use of an
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Australian
National & National Rail Launch Trailerail
727:
Southern
Railway launches India’s first RoadRailer train
53:
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commenced operating a trial RoadRailer service on the
778:
Across the
Continent: North American Railroad History
318:- Norfolk Southern concluded service August 25, 2024.
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520:London Edinburgh Roadrailers to Start in October?
307:operated Roadrailers under the Trailerail brand
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547:Amtrak concludes high speed RoadRailer tests
8:
27:Trailer capable of running on railway tracks
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821:
813:
104:, instead attaching trailers directly to
503:Further Delay on Liners and Roadrailers?
135:
465:
120:Side view of a Roadrailer's dedicated
561:RoadRailer rises again from the ashes
7:
210:locally with the integration of the
163:were built with integrated railroad
753:The American Railroad Passenger Car
398:introduced in October 2018 between
124:showing the connection between two
88:that could be hauled on roads by a
25:
713:RoadRailer forges US-Canada link
700:Trailerail Extended to Melbourne
487:Amtrak Joins the RoadRailer Club
206:. The trailers were built by the
655:AN RoadRailer goes into traffic
640:Bob Brown launches Roadrailer
354:service in a joint venture with
34:
870:British railway milk tank wagon
676:issue 84 December 1990 page 451
534:Amtrak RoadRailers get rolling
311:Roadrailers have been used in:
757:Johns Hopkins University Press
643:Truck & Bus Transportation
348:Adelaide to Alice Springs line
324:introduced RoadRailers on the
288:Triple Crown, a subsidiary of
247:to mark the end of the train.
155:Roadrailers first appeared on
1:
575:RoadRailer hits the big time
472:RailRoader: The crucial test
439:were carried out in the 1930s
220:Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
187:. Each semi-trailer had one
128:. This image shows only one
673:Continental Railway Journal
47:to comply with Knowledge's
1211:
443:Piggyback (transportation)
204:West Chester, Pennsylvania
774:Daniels, Rudolph (2000).
631:4 September 1964 page 709
625:First Roadrailer Service
538:February 1992 pages 26/27
254:operated a route between
140:Northbound Roadrailer at
784:Indiana University Press
579:October 1994 pages 49-52
478:30 July 1979 pages 82-84
290:Norfolk Southern Railway
60:may contain suggestions.
45:may need to be rewritten
938:Wagon with opening roof
755:. Baltimore, Maryland:
435:– Where some test of a
1129:Revenue collection car
661:September 1990 page 26
308:
285:yard, as seen today.
145:
133:
1190:Intermodal containers
1185:Freight rolling stock
1077:Non-revenue equipment
964:Class U special wagon
846:freight rolling stock
303:
139:
119:
92:and then by way of a
1063:Specialized flatcars
704:February 1996 page 8
691:January 1995 page 11
551:January 1993 page 17
423:Intermodal container
382:, previously run on
326:East Coast Main Line
94:fifth wheel coupling
954:Bogie bolster wagon
890:Covered goods wagon
786:, Bloomington, IN.
493:August 1992 page 27
344:Australian National
305:Australian National
272:Empire State Xpress
245:end-of-train device
1195:Road–rail vehicles
1159:Track geometry car
852:Enclosed equipment
731:New Indian Express
646:April 1990 page 12
309:
159:in the 1950s. The
157:American railroads
146:
134:
1172:
1171:
1124:Rail adhesion car
1089:Ballast regulator
1068:Transporter wagon
1048:Rotary car dumper
766:978-0-8018-2743-3
734:26 September 2018
717:July 1991 page 22
448:Road-rail vehicle
380:Canadian National
362:in November 1995.
185:automatic coupler
75:
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49:quality standards
16:(Redirected from
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974:Double-stack car
917:Refrigerated van
911:Refrigerator car
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523:Commercial Motor
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418:Containerization
384:Canadian Pacific
236:Portland, Oregon
216:railroad braking
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437:road-railer bus
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396:Indian Railways
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96:, operate in a
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525:14 August 1964
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224:squat position
169:regular trucks
126:trailer bodies
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316:United States
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43:This article
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1134:Power shovel
1053:Schnabel car
1033:Pocket wagon
875:Cattle wagon
777:
752:
742:Bibliography
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686:
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671:
670:Road-Railer
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609:. Retrieved
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322:British Rail
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208:Budd Company
201:
180:Type "E" or
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90:tractor unit
86:semi-trailer
77:
76:
63:
54:You can help
44:
1164:Work trains
1149:Stoneblower
1058:Slate wagon
715:Railway Age
658:Catch Point
577:Railway Age
549:Railway Age
475:Railway Age
390:New Zealand
173:fifth wheel
144:, July 1998
130:fifth wheel
78:RoadRailers
66:August 2024
1179:Categories
1038:Quarry tub
1027:Open wagon
997:Hopper car
985:Flat wagon
923:RoadRailer
460:References
433:Nicky Line
400:Tamil Nadu
264:Highbridge
98:unit train
18:RoadRailer
1119:Excavator
1094:Brake van
928:Stock car
751:(1985) .
611:18 August
589:on bogies
564:JOC Group
360:Melbourne
338:Edinburgh
334:Newcastle
260:Rochester
250:In 1982,
212:wheelsets
165:wheelsets
58:talk page
1114:Crew car
1043:Rollbock
1022:Modalohr
1012:Minecart
933:Tank car
906:Milk car
880:Coil car
859:Autorack
601:"Trains"
428:Modalohr
411:See also
340:in 1964.
328:between
241:cabooses
197:well-car
189:king pin
182:Type "F"
161:trailers
150:flatcars
112:Overview
102:flatcars
1099:Caboose
991:Gondola
979:Flatcar
969:Conflat
366:Austria
256:Buffalo
252:Conrail
193:flatcar
82:trailer
80:were a
1007:Lowmac
864:Boxcar
790:
763:
605:Trains
536:Trains
490:Trains
404:Palwal
376:Canada
371:Brazil
330:London
276:Amtrak
142:Fields
106:bogies
56:. The
1109:Crane
352:Perth
296:Users
1029:(EU)
993:(US)
987:(EU)
981:(US)
919:(EU)
913:(US)
892:(EU)
866:(US)
788:ISBN
761:ISBN
613:2024
402:and
336:and
262:and
214:and
378:on
266:in
195:or
178:AAR
108:.
84:or
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332:,
258:,
152:.
836:e
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64:(
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20:)
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