Intermodal in the 1980s - The 1980s were a colorful and changing time for Intermodal. As the 80's dawned, "Piggyback' was still the common Term for TOFC service, and Trailers were the most common form of Intermodal. 40' trailers were still in use, with the 45 footer becoming the most common trailer by the mid 80's. Many 40 footers were stretched and lots of new trailers could be seen on the rails. The 80's were flush with new & colorful paint schemes, as mergers and agreements seem to be announced weekly. Most 40' trailers still in use were Silver (paint or Aluminum), however the last of the new 40' tailers seem to be painted white, which is what the vast majority of 45' trailers were painted. Containers were commonly moved on chassis through the mid 80's.
Perhaps one of the best ways to help us fom our modeling ideas is to look at what was on the rail. Following are some photos, to help provide some visual reference to the 1980s time period.