Joe,
I am a Caterpillar employee. I worked in the engine business until 2012 & then moved to another division internally. Since you are looking at G-Scale models, there are Caterpillar models of 1:25 scale engines & 1:32 scale forklifts & 1:24 & 1:32 scale skid-steer loaders.
I am familiar with the Lafayette, IN facility as I interviewed there. It has been over 8 years since my last visit to that facility but to the extent I still remember the tour, I mostly saw the large engines leave on flat-bed trailers on Class 8 trucks. But there was a railroad track going into 1 of the buildings & so there must be a way to ship engines on flat cars.
Here in central IL, I have seen Caterpillar bulldozers, trucks, wheel loaders & until recently, excavators on flat cars on multiple railroads. Most of the times, I had seen them on Norfolk Southern trains & occasionally on BNSF trains. So I am guessing these railroads serve the assembly facilities. But I have seen pictures online of Caterpillar equipment on flat-cars on other railroads too depending on which port they are destined for export.
I have seen the larger bulldozers, trucks & loaders are shipped in multiples sections depending on the maximum width & height limits on the railroads.
These are just my opinion,
Thanks,
Naveen Rajan
