Beside being able to see into the car visually, are there any other methods to determine if rail cars in a consist are empty or loaded? I know that the empties that go by on the Harvard Sub usually seem to be moving faster but I’m sure that isn’t always the case. Thanks in advance.
Mike
You can look at the springs on the truck, If they are depressed then it’s loaded if not it’s probably an empty.
andrew
The only ones I am ever really sure are empty are the lumber haulers!
But, once in awhile, you will get a covered hopper that sounds like a hollow tin can when it hits a bump, I always figure they must be empty. Even the empty coal trains have been known to have a full car stuck somewhere in the middle.
Mook
Like George said, easy to look at the coil springs.
Adrianspeeder
Unit coal and unit grain train freight cars, when moving, usually make a lot more noise when empty than when loaded. Flat spots on the wheels are noisier when a car is empty than when it is loaded.
Mixed-merchandise or manifest trains remind me of the popular persona ascribed to that late, great member of the original “Rat Pack,” Dean Martin. Many times, if not most, they are “half-loaded.”
Also, know something about how traffic moves in your area.
With respect to the BNSF and UP unit coal train operations figure this rule-of-thumb: if the equipment is moving away from the Powder River Basin located in the northeastern quadrant of Wyoming, then the train is loaded.
With respect to BNFE and UPFE equipment, figure these two rules-of-thumb: if the mechanical refrigeration equipment is running, the equipment is loaded; or, more generally, it the equipment is moving eastwards its loaded and westwards its empty.
The insulated boxcars assigned to the Adolph Coors brewery have a uniform design. When I see this equipment rolling away from Golden, Colo., I assume they’re loads. But do remember that, from time-to-time, assigned beer service cars do haul empty kegs and returnable bottles back to the brewery for re-use. Cars containing these empty containers would be classified as loads.
Piggyback flats carrying empty containers and trailers are considered loads. Such a car may not be generating any revenue for the railroad, but it’s still considered a load.
Yes a conductor told me that when he met me at Barstow. When the springs are sought of squashed together it is loaded when they are not it is not loaded. I am sure there are exception to the rule but that is a good guideline. After he told me that I began looking at springs [:o)]
Bob:
Always wanted to know about the intermodal loads vs empty issue. If it is railroad owned trailer on the a flat, I would understand there would be no revenue.
But, what about if it is a steamship container or even trucking company trailer being returned empty. Is there revenue on those? Are they considered loads, or empties?
ed
don’t know about revenue, but, for train makeup purposes…any well or table with a container or trailer is considered a load (that’s not saying that THE CAR is considered loaded…that depends on the type of car as to how many wells/tables must have a container/trailer on them). The exception to this is for the purpose of helpers, then tonnage comes into play and solid drawbar twin flats. For twin-flats, trailer length is used in identifying if there is weight over all of the trucks. Greater than 90’ of combined trailer length would indicate that the twinflat car is a load (wether the trailer is loaded or empty).