I want to build up a nice modern unit train so I have been searching for coal cars to buy on the Bay. There are so many different types of coal cars. What r the most newest ones on the road? Is it Bethgons Aluminum? From what I have read the bethgons are meant to be rolled and emptied correct? Do they still make new coal cars that dump from the bottom and if so what kind of coal cars are those called? Thank you
The big manufacturers of coal cars are Trinity Rail and FreightCar America. Their websites have photos and drawings:
http://www.freightcaramerica.com/products/fcp_coal.htm
http://www.trinityrail.com/railcars/index.html
The two common types of aluminum-body coal cars being built today are rotary-coupler high-side gondolas (like the BethGon), which dump by being overturned, and rapid-discharge hoppers, which usually have five electric-over-air operated doors on the bottom and dump through the rails. Both types are intended to dump as a solid train without uncoupling, but at some power plants that have limited room, the unit train is broken up for dumping anyway.
Most rotary dumpers are single-car but there are tandem dump (2-car) dumpers, too. The rotary coupler is on one end only; at a tandem dump the operator has to make sure each time he positions two cars that a rotary coupler is at each end of the pair, otherwise, the dumper will overturn a standing car and tear things up.
Rapid discharge cars dump by a shoe being extended from the side of the car. The shoe contacts a rail at the side of the track; that triggers an electric signal to the air operated doors to dump the car.
Rapid-discharge trains can dump at rates of 12,000 tons per hour whereas rotary dump (single dump) are 4,000 tons per hour. Most rapid-discharge cars are equipped with rotary couplers so they can go to any dumper.
I have not seen any plain-discharge (manual door), aluminum-body hoppers built in the last 10 years, but FreightCar America still cataloges them, and presumably someone is buying some.
Note that the underframes of the coal cars are steel; only the body is aluminum. Also, all standard coal-cars, whether rapid-discharge or rotary-dump gon, are the exact same length, 53’1" over pulling faces, and the rotary dumpers are the same length, so any car can go to any dumper.
FreightCar America still use