Double-Stack Unit Train Container Service: Its Commercial Impact and Value to the Military Shipper
Abstract
Double-stack container train service was introduced in 1984 and has expanded rapidly since. The newly designed five-platform articulated well railroad car serves as the vehicle. Computer-assisted design has helped to engineer a radical departure from conventional railcar configuration and produce significant weight and rolling resistance reductions. Commensurate with introduction of this new generation of equipment, the ocean carriers and railroads have developed new cooperative train scheduling procedures and container/railcar handling methods. Additionally, the higher volume of containers per stack train has forced a redesign of railyards and marine terminals. Opportunities for unique military application of stack train technology and possible container rate reductions await the military transporter. The expedient maturation of stack train technology has provided an early opportunity for a thorough review of its development, the impact upon the containerized freight industry, and the stack trains' potential value to the military. Keywords: Railroad cars; Cargo vehicles; Cargo shipping; Freight train; Freight container.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA176892
Entities
People
- Karl-heinz Bernhardt
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School