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The trailer-on-flat-car, or TOFC, concept actually predates the trucking industry. From 1885-1893, Long Island farmers could ship their loaded wagons to Manhattan markets on Long Island Rail Road flatcars. Teamsters rode in their own coach on the farmers' specials, while their horses traveled in stable cars. The modern use of railroads to ship loaded trailers began on the Chicago Great Western Railroad (the "Corn Belt Route") in 1935 and became widespread in the 1950s, under the leadership of a former GM executive named Eugene Ryan and early supporters that included the Pennsy, New Haven, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Burlington, and Southern Pacific railroads. Originally a large number of trailers were railroad-owned, and loading and unloading was done "circus-style" by driving the trailers onto a string of flatcars from one end. A major advance came in the 1960s with the advent of the first side-lift cranes, dramatically speeding up loading and unloading. Today the combination of trailer and container shipments, known collectively as intermodal, constitutes the largest class of freight on American railroads. FEATURES
| M.T.H. Show Schedule For Week of July 3, 2016M.T.H. Electric Trains will be attending the NMRA National Train Show on July 8 - 10, 2016 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. HO, S Scale, O Scale, One Gauge and tinplate model railroading fans attending the event will have an opportunity to meet and ask M.T.H. Representatives questions about the M.T.H. product line, company direction and future plans as well as see product demonstrations and pick up a copy of our latest catalogs.
Friday, July 8, 2016: Saturday, July 9, 2016: Sunday, July 10, 2016: If you are interested in seeing a list of all the M.T.H. shows we will be attending over the next few months, CLICK HERE. | ||||||
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| © 2016 M.T.H. Electric Trains 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 (410)381-2580 | |||||||
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