The Model Railroader's Guide to Intermodal Equipment & Operations (Model Railroader)

Rating:
Summary: Good prototype info
Review: The references cite Randy Lee's Intermodal Modeler's Guide Vols 1 & 2, and there is little overlap in content between the three books. This book gives more the high level view, and makes sense of how the prototypes evolved through the last seventy years --particularly as states kept passing legislation allowing longer and longer truck cargo bodies. Well illustrated, with many pictures of prototypes demonstrating how the technology kept changing and improving.

Living near the Port of Oakland with APL's huge ship to rail operation, I wish there was some coverage of the ship offloading process getting it to rail, which would be interesting to model (particularly those huge overhead cranes). Also, while the early history section covered wagons being carried on flatcars by early electric traction lines, it ignored the early use of canal boats as "containers" hauled by steam engines on flat cars after being towed up a ramp. Still, I found a lot of interesting history here, mostly from 1950 on.

Definately the best choice for armchair reading on container shipping, and does an excellent job of presenting a coherent story of technology evolution and pointing out equipment technology details of importance to modelers in different time periods from 1950 on.