and then keep dragging it back up until the “housekeeping” is done.
I know I struggled with this before, but want to review it again. The post-it note in my mind didn’t stick.
Watching a coal train go by. Coal cars are rebuilt. Why? Just wear and tear or to redo in BNSF logo?
Also - if all coal cars built say 8/03 are done to certain specs, why the difference in the loaded weight?
Example - all rebuilt in 1999 - 239,500, 239,700 and 239,600.
And since I know Brother Carl will see this - I saw two old NW under the CRIX label now - in their bright yellow paint and NW logo. Bottom dump cars. Did I do good?
Difference in weight is inevitable. The steel sheet has a manufacturing thickness tolerance of plus or minus a few thousandths of an inch. The steel castings have a manufacturing tolerance of plus or minus a few hundredths of an inch to as much as a tenth of an inch. A little more welding here or there, a little slower with the paint spray gun and the paint gets a bit thicker. Most of these variations cancel each other out, but over something as big as a hopper car, little things add up, and a few hundred pounds is actually a very minor variation, plus or minus 0.5%. Try buying anything at the grocery store that is measured to a tolerance of plus or minus 0.5%! Gasoline at the pump may be off by several percentage points – check with your state to see what they allow (I think my state allows 3%).
Rebuilds are to things that wear out: trucks, draft gear, doors (if any), side bearings, center plates, etc. If the body starts falling apart, that’s bad, but some fixes will be made, such things as side-sheet separations at the bottom sill, damage to the top sill corners from the rotary dumper. A coal car in unit train service is going to need some work after awhile. For a mine and powerplant a 1,000 miles apart (Wyoming to Texas), the cars are probably making a seven-day cycle. That’s 2,000 miles a week, 100,000 miles a year, a million miles every ten years. You’d need rebuilding, too!
I had one last summer in Northern Iowa - will give details if you are really interested.
It was a dinner train - and I rode up front with the engineer - in fact, darn near in his lap. Driver sat on left side and we both thought it was a hoot! First and only time for a “ride”.
Was inside a switcher that was standing still - few years back. It was crowded, since we had two employees, the Driver and me - everyone had to stand and take turns breathing!
A little smarter and definitely older Mookie, too. Now I know that they are increasing the length of the trains to possible 135-150 cars, that we are looking at 315,000 pounds in those coal cars and I suspect those freight trains, sorry - mixed consist trains are getting a lot longer, too.
I still get a thrill out of “foreign” power (CSX/ NS/ KCS/UP) love the whistles on the new engines - (not as shrill), have watched the Tonka Toys work on the tracks and take soil samples, seen an engine on the ground, now know what yellow thingies are, and that I still have years of learning to do before I can even hold an intelligent conversation with someone that works for the railroad!
Aw c’mon, Sis–I look to you for intelligent conversation! And many times I don’t want to talk railroading. Don’t sell yourself short, even in railroad-related areas!
You are looking at what used to be called the load limit. Load limit is defined as the gross rail weight allowed, by the carrying capacity of the journal bearings, less the tare, or empty weight. As O.S. explained very well the weight of cars varries at bit. Each car is weighed at the factory to determine actual tare weight. I think there may also be a requirement for periodic reweighing in the Interchange Rules but I am not a car guy so can not tell you off the top of my head.
I can remeber when the light weight, capacity, and load limit were all three stenciled on the car, but I think they have simplified the stencil requirements and I have not looked carefully at what they are doing now. I think still show light weight and load limit.