On the News Wire for the past month there have been reports of new freight cars being built in 2014 and more that will be built in 2015.
What cars are being taken out of service in 2014 and 2015?
Probably a lot of stuff that’s been in storage for 10 or more years.
Are there any more all-door boxcars or uncoverted 40ft airslides (some were converted to MSW service) in revenue service?
Probably any unrebuilt stuff from the early/mid 1970s needed to go by now (I think 1974 was the cut-off for unrebuilt FRA 40 year interchange end-of-life).
Is there perhaps a surplus of unupgraded oil-hauling tank cars now?
Since the last of the 40 year cars expired this year; if it has a build date before July, 1974 - It will be gone unless it has had a major rebuild. Most Airslides, and PS 4740’s fall into this bracket. Cars built after July 1st, 1974 are 50 year cars. I see BNSF has rebuilt/convered their larger Airslides into ‘buffer’ cars for ethanol and crude oil service.
Older tank cars of any age will need rebuilding/replacing due to new safety requirements.
Most intermodal ‘well’ cars that had 45’ or 48’ wells, have either been shortened to 40’(international) or lengthened to 53’(domestic) container service(or scrapped).
Jim
A fair number of RBLs have gone away due to the 40-year rule. Not really anything built to take their place. Other boxcars have been put into canned goods service, and can haul more product per car, but the lack of insulation makes them less desirable this time of year.
The places that had their loading docks set up for the RBLs are much less impressed, as the other cars are bigger, and won’t fit. Then they have to move the cars around as they load them. Instead of having 2-3 cars on spot, they can load one at a time.
Because some railroads like CN and CP have a large, long system, could they simply use the 4740 Cu. Ft. 3-bay covered hoppers only for traffic on-line, until they get new hoppers?
What about the orginal railgons, will TTX be selling or rebuilding them?
I have seen a few all door boxcars in service this year. (Loaded on Central Oregon and pacific.)
Perhaps the number of railcars being built this year should be compared to previous years. Is it up? Down? Add to the equation relative business levels.
I’m sure the Class 1’s replace a certain number of cars each year - are they replacing more than normal this year?
One place a lot of older railcars went was about 6-7 years ago the price for scrap steel shot up for about a year. As the economy contracted in 2007-2009 a fair number of railcars go cut up for scrap. The markets have changed and the scrap steel prices are no longer pulling in older railcars. Rgds IGN
PS A lot of the per diem boxcars built in the 1970’s were the main source. Rgds IGN
You are correct - 40 yr rule has exception for equipment not interchanged or captive service.
I’d love to have a PS2CD (high side) 4 bay hopper car painted C&NW green. It won’t fit in my bedroom though. I guess I’ll have to settle for the 3 O scale versions I have up on a shelf. What years were those cars made, or are they still in production?