Gold Line(TM) Bethlehem 89'4" Flush-Deck Flatcar - Ready to Run -- Southern - for 40' Trailers, Sold Separately

Intermodal Favorites for HO Freights * Underbody Detail * Great for Intermodal Consists * Fully Assembled * Metal RP-25 Wheels * Working Knuckle Couplers * Modeler Installed Grab Irons * ACF & P-S Style Hitches Included The introduction of the 89' flatcar in 1960 opened the door for a new generation of piggyback service. Equipped with a pair of collapsible hitches, these big cars could easily handle the older 35' and/or the newer 40' trailers. The universal hitches also eliminated the need for complex tie-downs, allowing trains to be loaded faster. Bridge plates were attached at each end for the standard circus-style ramps (the work was similar to the way circus wagons were loaded on flatcars years before) favored by most railroads. Within a few years, railroads began using special cranes to load trailers, eliminating the need for the deep channel side sills that had served as rub rails to keep trailers from being shoved over the sid