Are Trackmobile’s still being used by industries that receive large number of cars that need to be switched back and forth or have they gone the way of the caboose? Is this done strictly by the railroads now?
Larry
There are still many critters out there. It’s up to the industry (if they own the tracks) whether the RR does the switching or they buy their own locomotive (or trackmobile) and hire a crew to do the switching themselves.
I’ve seen a few new looking trackmobiles even, they are around still, but I’ve never seen a caboose at an industry.
http://www.trackmobile.com/index1.htm
They still make those critters…they do have an upper limit on the number of cars they can shove/pull which is why so many industries with bulk traffic opt for a locomotive instead.
Thanks for the info.
Larry
To the best of my knowledge,trackmobiles are still used here in Louisville,at
the Ford assembly plant on Fern Valley road,and several distilleries around here.
There are quite a few Trackmobiles and similar railcar movers out there. As MC said, a lot of industries are getting locomotives as used switchers have gotten relatively cheap.
LC
I don’t mind seeing the “trackmobiles”,but I SURE wouldn’t mind seeing a caboose.![:)]
WOULD rather see some early switchers 'tho.[:)]
I can think of several locations here in NE Georgia that utilize them. One uses it to move coil cars around. Another uses some to move empty and loaded gondolas around a steel recycling plant.
There is even a feed mill that makes big moves with an old Geep and then smaller ones with trackmobiles.
Oh and locomutt, their is an old switcher down from a CSX line that uses a caboose for reverse moves on the local. A little bit of everything!
It’s neat that they still make those things, I saw one in Chicago that looked to be coupled to a weed spraying train. I like first generations switchers too, there is a grain elevator near Bernie, Missouri that uses a very old version of a Trackmobile, pretty neat, hope to get pictures on my website soon, visit my site at http://www.trainweb.org/semorails/ !!!
There are also trucks modified to move railroad cars.
During World War 2 a “standard” modification for the 2 1/2 ton GMC 6 x 6 cabover (not the far more common conventional) truck was flanged wheels and couplers.
About a year ago I saw a conventional tractor working at an industry near Roseville CA . It had hi-rail wheels and couplers. (I didn’t have my camera)
About 20 years ago I saw a (derelect looking) conventional tractor with couplers mounted, parked in a storage yard in Bakersfield CA. It did not have hi-rail wheels.
(visible from a freeway were I couldn’t stop)
At Fremont, Nebr there is a company that has a section of track next to the building (no longer uses rail, track ends at the fence) that has a 50ft box probably used for storage and an ex-FWD wide vision cupola caboose.
As for trackmobiles, there is a company (flour mill?) at Fremont that has one. Last week I had a student conductor assigned to me. We were waiting for our train at the depot when I saw the trackmobile sandwiched between two covered hoppers. It was moving the cars toward the street crossing. I told my student that those cars were moving without an engine. I didn’t think he’d notice the trackmobile and he didn’t. He was watching closely while I was saying I wondered if they’d stop before they rolled out over the crossing.
Just about then, an old head came out the door. He heard us talking about the cars. His view was blocked by the crossing relay shed and just saw the cars, not the trackmobile. He started looking concerned, so that’s when I had to point out the reason they were moving.
I have seen trackmobiles at smaller feed mills. One was on the BNSF San Jacinto branch, somewhere north of Perris.
I also believe there are some in the San Joaquin Valley, where there are a lot of agricultural customers along the BNSF there
May be slightly [#offtopic] But back in the '40’s,several Naval bases had fire engines,on flanged wheels,for around the ammunition storage. Don’t think they pulled any cars’tho.[:)]
What type of special training is needed for drivers of trackmobile’s before they can operate them?
Larry
My dad works at a potash mine and they use a trackmobile for all their switching. He’s actually operated it in the past. The mine used to use a GE centercab as well as a couple of smaller switchers, but they got rid of them quite a long time ago in favour of the trackmobile.
There’s one at the Badger State Ethanol plant in Monroe WI. It’s a really nice looking unit, painted orange. It’s used shove the Covered Hoppers full of gran and the tank cars of ethonal arounf the plant, and for pick up by the WIsconsin and Southern.
Noah
It depends on where they are operating. Most, if not all, are operating on private r/w at a mill or large plant and it’s up to the owner as to how much training (if any) the operator gets. Because of their size, they don’t have to follow railroad locomotive operating rules. Why did GE offer a 44-tonner? It because, at that time, 44 tons was the largest a locomotive could be before the law required a fireman on board with the engineer.