 
In 1952, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O)'s Kenneth A. Brown conceived the idea of roadrailers. After development was complete,
the C&O began to use 29', single-axle trailers beginning in 1955 and ran them in service between Detroit and Grand Rapids, MI.
The new type of trailers were attached to C&O's passenger trains and were utilized to haul mail and express service.
The C&O was now able to provide rail access to new customers who did not have, or want to build, actual rail siding.
The use of this new type of rail service continued into the early 1960's until being discontinued.
In the 1980's, railroads began to look for innovation, and the roadrailer concept was
dusted off and again put to limited use. The Illinois Central Gulf was most prominent in this rebirth of roadrailer
technology, however Family Lines, Seaboard Coast Lines, and Union Pacific also utilized the unique trailers.
Roadrailer trailers have had quite an evolution from the initial 29' trailers used
by the C&O. The Roadrailer technology was formally purchased by Wabash National Corporation, of Lafayete, IN, in 1991,
although it produced its first Roadrailer in 1987. Over the years, the trailers have transformed themselves from Mark IIs to Mark IV,
to Mark V, complete with detachable train-wheel-bogies. Roadrailer dry vans feature the following:
In 1997, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) joined the TCS Network,
providing service for Triple Crown Roadrailers between Kansas City, KS and Saginaw, TX.
BNSF's Roadrailer trains began running on 18 August 1997 with the first train
symboled the Q-KCKSAG1-18, with ATSF GP60M #156 leading 15 trailers south from Kansas City to Saginaw.
The northbound equivalent was symboled the Q-SAGKCK. However the current symbols are Q-KCKFTW and Q-FTWKCM.
Why the difference between the modern symbols with regards to the Kansas City
destination? Norfolk Southern delivers the trailers for interchange to BNSF in Kansas City, KS, (symboled the T-KCKNS-3R1)
however BNSF interchanges trailers back to NS in Kansas City, Missouri. Delivery to BNSF is at Argentine, KS from NS and are
straight run-through trains which originate in Pennsylvania and Ohio. BNSF delivers Roadrailers to Norfolk Southern's yard in
North Kansas City, MO.
The BNSF TCS Roadrailer trains were originally operated four days per week,
however in late 2001, a fifth operational day was added. Westbounds (compass south) operate Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday, while Eastbounds (compass north) operate Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
BNSF experimented with an auto parts Roadrailer train from Laredo, TX to a facility outside of Mexico City, Mexico,
however service has not continued.
Currently as of 21 November 2003, Norfolk Southern power is to run through with the BNSF
Roadrailer trains to Fort Worth, TX, and will run on BNSF tracks between Argentine Yard to W.B. Junction at Carrollton, MO.
BNSF and NS now interchange all RoadRailer equipment in Argentine Yard, and the new BNSF Roadrailer train symbols are
Q-KCKFTW (Kansas City, KS to Ft. Worth, TX) and Q-FTWKCK (Ft. Worth, TX to Kansas City, KS).
Click here to learn
more about the prototype Triple Crown Service.
Additional prototype photos are available by Jeff Cole:
Green Frog Productions, Ltd. also has a Roadrailer video available in both
VHS and DVD formats.
Currently there are two commercial companies which offer Triple Crown Roadrailers in model form.
The first is Bowser Trains. Bowser
manufactures Triple Crown Roadrailers in HO scale, and currently offers the following:
The second company is Deluxe Innovations which offers Roadrailers in
N scale.
Roadrailers have also been created in 1/8" Scale, which were produced by Pete Pedigo
of the New Unionville & Western Railroad. Additional material about Mr. Pedigo's fleet can be found here:
GIFs were drawn by Erik
Rasmussen of Midwest Rails.
Roadrailer Articles (by date):
Triple Crown Articles:
QStation would like to thank noted ATSF, now BNSF, road engineer Keel Middleton for all the help
given for the production of this website. Without Keel's contribution, this website would not be possible.
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