Throwback Thursday - Establishing an Era

 

TCSZ 461577, one of the newer, lighter, trailers was on CP train 528 at London yard on October 16, 1994.  The Conrail logo is visible on this unit.

By Peter Mumby 

Vehicles, structures, rolling stock - there are many details that can be included or manipulated to establish the era of your model railroad.  Today, for those interested in the “modern” era, I’m going to reference a signature train set, specifically the Triple Crown roadrailer trains.

Triple Crown Service was established as a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern in 1986.  Conrail became a partner in 1993.  A number of dedicated routes were established, but I will refer specifically to the Detroit/Toronto trains that travelled through Southwestern Ontario, my primary region of interest.  CP originally handled these trains, starting in the early 1990s.  This arrangement continued until late 2002, when CN took over the contract.  Triple Crown trains operated on CN for another dozen years or so.  Thus, between CN and CP, we have already established two distinct decades for operational purposes.  The CP decade can be further subdivided, because the original trains operated with the earlier trailers that had the attached rail wheelsets.  After 1993 the lighter trailers which travelled on railway trucks were substituted.  This was also about the time that small Conrail logos started appearing on many of the trailers.  That should narrow things down a bit, so take your pick!

The smaller Triple Crown lettering is present on TCSZ 463972.

CSRZ 914040 is the last trailer on a westbound CP train at London in the early evening of July 27, 1993.  The low sun nicely illuminates the attached rail wheelsets visible between the trailer tires.