Introduction

ScaleTrains 40090 HO Scale Rivet Counter PS-Trinity 5 Unit Backpacker Well Car BN 63909

Introduced in 1986 by longtime builder Pullman-Standard, the Backpacker well car is a 5-unit, articulated car featuring 40 wells. All five wells can handle a 40, 45, or 48 container loaded in the top position, with 53 containers staggered in every other well in the top position. The Backpacker is distinguished from other intermodal cars by its low-profile design. Many continue in service today.

The bodies are die-cast metal for optimum weight and performance. Like all Rivet Counter freight cars, the Backpacker features photo-etched stainless-steel see-through walkways, wire grab irons, die-cast metal knuckle couplers, trucks with rotating bearing caps, and much more.

FEATURES:

• Era: 1987 to early 2000s
• Series 63900 to 63909; built 2/1987, P-S Lot 2016
• Fully-assembled
• Multiple road numbers
• Articulated 5-unit well car built by Pullman-Standard (P-S), later Trinity (TRN)
• Capable of carrying 1 x 40 or 2 x 20 containers per well, with up to 48 long container in top position per well (53 containers possible in top position, staggered in every other well)
• Diecast bodies for optimum weight and performance
• Photo-etched stainless-steel see-through walkways
• Wire grab irons on side and end sills
• Durable Celcon corner uprights and vertical grabs
• Detailed floors and well interior sidewalls
• Separate Inter-Box Connector (IBC) details are included for loading in IBC holder boxes on the car deck
• Factory-applied metal grab irons, coupler cut levers, and trainline hoses
• Intricate multi-piece brake plumbing and rigging
• Semi-scale coupler boxes
• Durable body-mounted die-cast metal semi-scale lower shelf Type E couplers
• Highly detailed Barber S-2 70-ton trucks with 33 wheels at ends; Barber S-2 100-ton trucks with finely rendered raised foundry data; rotating black Timken three-sided bearing caps
• Printed reporting mark and road number on all six trucks
• 36 machined metal wheels with accurately profiled .110″ wide wheel tread used on articulation point trucks and 33 machined metal wheels with accurately profiled .110″ wide wheel tread used on outboard trucks
• Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
• Printing and lettering legible even under magnification
• Weighted to Industry standards for reliable operation
• Packaging safely stores model and single 40 or 2 x 20 container loaded per well (containers not included)
• Operator series 40 Containers available separately
• Minimum radius: 22 (without customer-applied brake details parts installed)
• Recommended radius: 26 (with included customer-applied brake detail parts installed)

NOTE: Road number may vary from picture shown.

In the late 1970s, a transportation revolution took shape with the development of the double-stack well car, a collaborative effort between ACF Industries and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Recognizing the advantages of this innovation, numerous freight car builders swiftly joined the fray, catering to the burgeoning demand. Early designs, such as those pioneered by ACF for SP, as well as offerings from Thrall and Gunderson, featured bulkheads and position-able stops, called “flippers” to secure containers in the uppermost position. However, these features added extra weight and maintenance requirements.

By the mid-80s, with double-stack traffic on the rise, well-car designs underwent further evolution. In 1986, Pullman-Standard introduced the “Backpacker” well car, a product of Youngstown Steel Door’s design. This articulated 5-unit car, manufactured at Pullman-Standard’s Bessemer, AL facility, boasted 40 wells with a tapered, low-profile shape. Diverging from earlier designs, the Backpacker eliminated bulkheads, relying instead on Inter-Box Connectors (IBCs) akin to those used in securing containers on ships. This innovation reduced tare weight, ultimately enhancing fuel efficiency for railroads.

Initially, the Backpacker had limitations on container loading, with the middle three wells unable to handle pairs of 20 containers due to their weight. However, later production models addressed this issue with reinforced wells, allowing for the loading of pairs of 20 containers across all units. Furthermore, all five units could accommodate containers ranging from 40 to 48 in the top position, with staggered 53 containers possible in alternating wells.

The Backpacker design garnered significant attention, particularly from Trailer Train, leading to multiple orders in the latter half of the 1980s. Despite Pullman-Standard’s absorption by Trinity Industries, the design remained unchanged, albeit with Trinity logos alongside P-S branding. Burlington Northern notably acquired a fleet of Backpackers, painted in their distinctive Cascade Green, defying the trend of railroad reliance on Trailer Train equipment.

Most Backpackers arrived in Trailer Train yellow, adorned with “TT” logos and branding. Some featured additional logos for specific steamship lines or railroads, such as “K” Line, RailBridge Corporation, Maersk, or Southern Pacific Railroad. However, by the early 1990s, the practice of sub-lettering diminished, and Trailer Train transitioned to TTX Co., adopting a new black-and-white striped “speed” logo. Over time, TTX evolved its branding, eventually unveiling a stylized logo in Tuscan red in 2008.

Despite their relative obscurity among the broader fleet of well-cars owned by TTX, most Backpackers remain in service, proving valuable for international container traffic handling 20 and 40 containers. Their durability and utility continue to make them viable assets in contemporary freight transportation.