Launched in 1986, Norfolk Southern's Triple Crown service pioneered one of the most unique intermodal ventures railroading has ever seen. Known to many as 'roadrailers', the standard 53' Triple Crown trailers were attached to railroad wheelsets, called 'bogies', which lifted the truck tires off the railhead, but made it look like the trailers were riding on the rail. Other railroads attempted to replicate this idea, but none saw quite the success that Triple Crown did. In 2016, NS cutback roadrailer operations due to several factors, including equipment age. This cutback removed all but one pair of trains, which continued to operate between Kansas City and Detroit for several years. The last pair of roadrailer trains between KC and Detroit operated on August 24 and 25, 2024, ending a 38-year long run of one of the most unique railroad operations to have ever been invented.
