Question: Covered hopper cars move in and out of siding every 2 or 3 days....?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

…On our NS Frankfort line east and west here in Muncie we have a 3/4 mile or so side track located in western part of the city and these cars are moved in and out about every 2 or 3 days…They are dropped off and placed on siding and remain 2 or 3 days and then are picked up and moved out…and the cycle then repeats itself. Thought maybe it was seasonal but it’s been occuring now for some months…Anyone have any idea what the purpose of this movement might be…? No loading or unloading is done at this location. [?]

2

Storage? “Ahhhh, just stick 'em over there.”

Adrianspeeder

3

…Yea, storage for such a short time and then they have to come and put them back together again in a day or so…Today they are split at 2 different locations for streets, etc…

4

Are these storage in transit moves? Very common with chemicals in covered hoppers.

dd

5

staging for loadout somewhere nearby…also used to be a heavy maintenance/ inspection outfit near there doing scheduled FRA overhauls?

6

Do you know if they are loads, or empties?
If they are loads when they show up, and empty when they leave, it sounds like a team track.
By the way, they dont always unload in the daylight…
If they are load in load out, it is being used as a SIT track.
If empty in, empty out, staging track.

Ed

7

What about a train swap? Cars originate at point A going to point C. Train from A doesn’t stop at C and is leaving cars for a train that does stop and perhaps works industries at point C.

Jay

8

Yes, Jay…that is something I’ve been thinking is happening…One train drops them there because they are headed to a point the first train was not going…Once they are dropped, nothing happens to them until they are moved. These today were coming from the east…Many of them are of the new aluminum flat sided with steel ends type…believe built at Johnstown America. Ed I’m not sure if they are loaded or empty…Tried to see by looking at the springs on another cut but couldn’t make up my mind from that…and didn’t look at that feature on these today. They for sure are here just for someplace to put them because nothing happens to them here. Sometimes a few of other types of cars are include with the cuts but in general, most are covered hoppers.