From all your comments, I have the feeling that the rules do exist indeed, but they do not seem to be followed really systematically. Or they are different from railroad to railroad. In any case, your comments already gave me some ideas.
I guess it must be possible to determine from outside whether the car is loaded or not by observating the position of the truck springs (whether they are compressed or not). That’s the way we do it here in Europe. However I think it is difficult (and boring) to try that when the train is rolling at a certain pace …
That’s just ignorant. I was a conductor for five years, and am able to tell loads from empties by looking at the springs.
Now, I’m a YARDMASTER and acting TRAINMASTER in a major Class I terminal. It’s my JOB to know how to properly build a train. And it’s MY neck if something happens to a improperly built train. Even if nothing happens, I’ll still have to answer for willfully violating the train build rules. So I know the HAZMAT book and Restricted Equipement Book like the back of my hand.
Nick,I still suggest watching freight trains as far as empties and loads…I will stand firm on my railroading experience and what I observed track side almost on a daily bases to include loaded hazmat cars 5-6 deep from the locomotives and I have see 'em carrying FRED…[:D]
I have seen LOADED tank cars next to the locomotives as well and I know what I see as far as train consist because it is my old railroad habit to observe passing trains in detail as I was taught to do as a young brakeman and that has also come in handy for modeling as well.
Every company does it different. Some just slap the train together. Some make the crews do how much switching. Our company generally slaps it together, blocked up by destination. You’ll get trains with most of the loads at the rear. Just gotta know how to run.[;)] The bigest train I’ve run so far was 133 cars, without dynamic brakes. Air is your friend, keep them stretched out so they don’t run in on you. Most of our engineers are pretty good, to get our trains over our less than perfect track without breaking anything. Stuff does happen, though.