Developing the "South Seattle Intermodal Terminal"

As you know if you're a model railroader, it takes a lot of space to model just a small portion of any sort of intermodal terminal. In my case, modeling the BN in 1973, I am fortunate that the intermodal line of business was in its early stages, so I can get by with less space for this than modelers of later eras. But there is no doubt that most manifest trains carried at least a car or two of "trailer on flat car (TOFC)" by 1973, and in the BN's case, they started a dedicated intermodal service between Seattle and Chicago, called the "Pacific Zip" (train #3) in the westbound direction and the return trip named "Train #4", both at passenger train speeds or better. It was a very overpowered and short train at first, while the business grew, which is very fortunate for me, since (1) I have an awfully lot of locomotives, and (2) it takes less space to credibly build a shorter train.

So, what I did was to install a six-foot long section of track in between the South Seattle mainlines and the Lonestar Cement complex at the end of the aisle to the right of the Argo Yard, with just enough space between them to park a row of trailers or containers next to the track. Not enough space for the lifting equipment, but at least enough to call it the "South Seattle Intermodal Terminal" and to park 4 long TOFC flatcars on it, enough to make a short, but convincing, Pacific Zip #3 or #4.

It goes without saying that just staging the Pacific Zip #3 or #4 in "Tacoma Staging" just off the layout from there would work too, without taking any real estate at all (other than taking up a staging track). But, the prototype trains were broken down and made up in Stacy St. Yard, not in the Intermodal Terminal, and this was done by a special switch job called "Crew 6". What fun to terminate the westbound Zip in Stacy St and have a switch crew quickly remove the express boxcars off the back end and then shove the intermodal cars down to the Intermodal Terminal, as the prototype did. Also, since my south staging yard is hidden beyond the ladder (don't do this if you have a choice!), it is easier to change out the trailers and containers if I have the cars parked on a track I can see and reach.

All of this is to say that Magnus Christerson has recently been adding some "craft foam" pavement and a guard shack to the scene approaching the South Seattle Intermodal Terminal. Here's what it looks like so far. We plan to apply striping and grey pan pastels to the black surface to match the sanded grout paving behind that area, so we're not finished. But it's progress, and that's what this blog is all about! Enjoy!