Is that really gravel or a tarp imprinted with a gravel like grain? Or a blob of heavily graveled concrete?
Look at the shape where it pulls down at the straps. To me, it looks like a tarp.
Where is John Cleese when you need him?[(-D][(-D]
[Mad dogs and Englishmen…!]
Maybe they should have used wider straps?[:-,]
Thank You.
I don’t know if I agree with that. If it were loose gravel. tightening the straps would just push the gravel out from under the straps. The straps would be level before they became taunt. It looks to me, like there is a tarp on the load, and the straps are over the tarp.
Those appear to be side dump cars and I noticed that no strap was present on the first car (photo left) in view. Perhaps there was a slight issue with the dump mechanism and the strap was insurance against the start of an accidental dump.
Rather than a tarpaulin, there might be some kind of fine mesh. That would explain why we can’t see anything. Puzzling…
John
That was my thought–that the straps are to hold the doors closed.
I agree that the straps are to hold the doors or fold-down ‘flaps’ closed. Note that each flap is about 1’ high x 5’ long - that there’s a latch-type thingy between each pair - and that these 3 straps are just about midway between each of the adjoining latches.
Interesting trivia or “What is it ?!?” question - thanks for sharing.
- Paul North.
The German words legible on the side of the car are “Fährweg Produktion” which means right of way material. I’d suggest that the material is gravel, but I can’t account for the straps.
The material is crushed rock.
How do you drop those hinged sides? It looks like you lift that heavy square tube that is centerd in each hinge assembly. That tube might tend to bind rather tight if the load settles up against the sides. Those strap binders could be to pull the sides against the load so the locks can be freely lifted. Maybe they just bring along three of them positioned ready to use, and move them around to other locations if need be.
But if they have to resort to those load binders to release the side locks, it might not be the best hinge / latch design.
The car is used to move what we call rip rap, large stones to shore up culverts and retaining walls, the straps are to secure the larger rock…they are not in use here in this photo, they are in place to keep them from coming lose and catching on wayside structures.
Dumping the gravel on the straps would damage them, so they loaded the gravel, then put the straps in place as if I use.
Look at an empty center beam flat car, the cables or straps are in place as if holding a load, and are snug to keep them taunt and out of the way.
The car in this photo has very short sides, useless as a gravel car for the most part.
I would imagine it was pressed into this service simply because it was on hand when needed.
Yes, the sides drop to allow equipment to unload the large rip rap.
That makes sense. Thanks, Ed, I think you’ve solved the mystery.
John
Ed is very close, cars like this are general purpose MOW cars. Unlike in the US waste materials are not normally dumped off to the side but rather are removed to waste disposal sites. The British refer to it as spoils and the material is hauled to a spoil tip. To me this looks like the fines collected by a ballast cleaner. The straps are used to restrain any shiftable load hauled by this car, used ties, used rail, etc. I believe the previous posters are correct that the straps are being used to help the latching mechanisms resist the pressure from the load.
Here is a similar British wagon actually hauling Ballast;