Train Tuesday 5/14/24 Athearn HO IMPACK Spine Cars

On this Train Tuesday, we talk about the Athearn HO scale IMPACK Spine cars. The IMPACK, or Inter-Modal Package, spine car was designed to carry 40-45’ trailers in 4 to 10-unit sets. The cars are based on the 1978-built Santa Fe “Fuel Foiler” 10-unit design and were in fact license-built copies produced by ITEL starting in 1981. ITEL produced the cars in 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10-car sets, depending on customer specifications. In addition to the Santa Fe Fuel Foilers, IMPACK cars were owned by Burlington Northern, Itel Corporation, Cotton Belt, and TTX Corporation. With the introduction of 48 foot trailers in 1985, many of the IMPACK cars were rebuilt to include the then new 48 foot trailers. These IMPACK cars would continue to run throughout the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s with most seeing the end of the line by 2015.
Athearn HO IMPACK Spine Car PDF: www.athearn.com/on/demandware...
Athearn HO IMPACK Spine Car : www.athearn.com/search?q=isc0...

[@besserepreise]

Great video. Greetings from Germany

[@davidkasparian4089]

Hello Jim!! Best wishes💙

[@randallellison6421]

I got a 10 unit BN set a couple of years ago, Jim! Those things are incredibly durable cars. If there was ever a definition of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", these cars fit it perfectly!

[@AthearnModelTrains]

Thank you for the kind comments!

[@amyreynolds3619]

They no longer do live shows during the summer. They consider month of May apart of summer.

[@AthearnModelTrains]

We don't necessarily consider "May" summer as that officially shows up this year on June 20th. Athearn has found that on-line views are down during the warmer months between May - September and pre-recording videos allows us to go to shows as well as vacations. For those who enjoy the live versions all year long, remember all Athearn Extra videos are a "live" format.

[@darenhamill9881]

Hi

[@donniehorton7367]

Hello Jim

[@AthearnModelTrains]

Hi Donnie! ~ Jim

[@Mumbles19852007]

Where's the live chat?

[@AthearnModelTrains]

Due to viewership being low in the warmer months of May through September, we conduct Train Tuesday as pre-recorded during those months. The live chat will resume in October.

[@jefferykeeper9034]

I think that you need to have a different beginning, I don't care for the music your using.

[@farmerdave7965]

Ditto

[@AthearnModelTrains]

Thank you for your input, that is the first time we have been critiqued about our intro.