For the self-respecting modern, customer-orientated narrow gauge railway with freight ambitions and one eye on the bottom line, the ‘Must-have’ accesory is a container wagon. Transporter wagons or rollboks have their very useful place, but they are specialised and complicated bits of kit, whereas the good old ISBU container is simple and needs pretty normal equipment so hoist it off a truck or standard gauge train, and load it onto the narrow gauge version to be carried up into the depths of the Black Forest: Everyone has a container crane these days.
Here’s a bad picture of a design for a 40′ intermodal wagon I’ve started. The deck is already complete but it’s a lousy day for taking pictures…
I’m going for a skeletal look with either home made bogies hidden under there or cut-down versions from Cambrian Models: final decision to be based on how well or badly my own designs turn out. I’m not sure where I’ll put the weight though: I guess I’ll have to be all creative with air reservoirs or something. The wagons will need to be low, by the way so the containers can be unloaded at any siding without needing a loading bay, which makes them more flexible for customers.
Oh, I’ll admit it, it’s because I think they look nice…
