There was a note in Trains Magazine about some BNSF Hoppers fitted with, essentially, solar-powered hydraulic unloading systems. According to the note, the systems could be operated manually, via joysticks on the cars, or remotely. It seems to me, that such devices would be a great way to unload entire trains. Obviously there’s a cost installing such systems on hoppers, but wouldn’t it save money to just let a train roll through an unloading area while it’s cars essentially dump their own cargos?
Well, just asking about the hoppers. It might be more complicated or costly than I am aware. [:)]
Phil, a couple of things. The cars you were seeing were ballast cars. The solar panels provide power for the outlets. The reason for the remote-control operation is to avoid the hazardous footing where the cars are being unloaded, and to reduce exposure to the dust.
Many power plants have their coal piles set up for trains of rapid-discharge hoppers, that are unloaded with air provided by the trains’ locomotives and actuated electrically from a safe distance. The same hazards apply, except that the unloading is more instantaneous. Pictures I’ve seen show that the coal pile is sprayed with water during these operations to keep the dust down. And having 120 tons of coal per car dumped in about thirty seconds would not be anything to be observed from anywhere close-up.
Thanks. I did not know most were remotely unloaded. I thought they used rotary dumpers or something, which struck me as a horribly inefficient way to do it. Also, the rotary dumpers would be rather costly! [:o]
Couldn’t the same things be applied to covered hoppers, for grain and the like? I imagine the devices would be a little more complicated, but it would improve car turn around time. Of course, it seems most places that demand plastic pellets, grain and sugar usually don’t use the car contents quite as quickly as the coal is used …
Gondolas which require a rotary dumper are a bit lighter than a hopper car, and so can carry a bit more coal. Also hopper doors require more maintenance. Typically longer haul operations favor gondolas will shorter hauls favor hoppers. But a lot of factors go into the choice. Each powerplant factors all of it into the calculations and makes their choice. With covered hoppers you have to open the roof hatches to let air in, otherwise bad things happen, so unloading is by necessity slower.