Hi once again I was wondering on how often a train is sent out of it’s yard. With only certain type of rail car. Like for example A train of just tank cars or a train of auto racks. Or even just a train of flat cars. I know this might happen more offten then others but I Just wanted to know.
Except for unit trains, not very often. Manifest trains are built on the principal of destination blocking. If you are starting ffrom A and serving C, F, and T your train will carry blocks of cars for C, F, and T with no regard to type of car. Blocks will be aranged in the trqain for ease of handling. Assume train will pass C, F, and T in that order. Usually C block will be on head end, then F, then T. This allows road power to set out the blocks in sequence. With right cut he could pick up a block for F and T with a single cut and set to the train. It is all a matter of blocking, and usually it is by destination.
Mac
Its very common to see trains with nothing but coal cars where i live. This may or may not be what you are talkiing about.
Fairly common for auto racks; not very (excluding unit trains) for other types. (Not sure whether auto rack trains would be operated as unit trains or not. )
usually they mix trains as most items in a merchanidse train only have a few certain cars that go to a certain place and stuff all over
Very common for bulk commodity trains (coal, grain, rock, ore, soda ash, potash) and for premium commodity trains (auto racks, intermodal cars, doubles stacks and occaisionally a solid reefer train).
Other than that its pretty much a mixed bag.
Dave H.
The only uncommon unit train not running on any type of normal schedule that I can think of would be a army equipment special. Usually, a long string of 89ft flatcars with all kinds of army vehicles - trucks, tanks, etc.
CC
Intermodal like D/stackers are usually solid trains.[:o)]
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Originally posted by railfan619
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