I started building a frac sand train, but would like any help. Like what type of covered hoppers to use, how Long to make the train, company leasing marks, etc.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Jimmy, start with a google search on frac sand trains. Many trains, types of hoppers, transloading, etc.,etc. You can have covered hoppers hauling the refined sand to the well sites, and open hoppers / gondolas bringing the raw material to the refinery. Just google it, you'll see lots.
Mike.
My You Tube
Hi--Frac sand trains are usually made up at a trucking facility. The sand comes into the loading station on freuhauf or belly dumps and loaded into storage or directly into covered hoppers.
The frac sand has to be kept dry because when it is pumped into the well it will be mixed with gel, water, and chems. Where they unload the frac trains is a facility near the wells and the sand is transported to the well in freuhauf trailers. At the well it is offloaded into portable storage units. I worked in the Oil Field and was on a fracking crew.
Most processed frac sand is moved in 100 ton capacity 2 bay covered hoppers. The UP does run a raw sand train out of Winona, MN every week - That uses 50' gondolas.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
My guess is I probably see one everytime I drive south or north on Highway 10 here in Minnesota and they probably just look like grain trains.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I've been looking for the correct car, but nothing yet.
Jimmy,
Look at this link...
https://www.google.com/search?q=frac+sand+hoppers&espv=2&biw=1680&bih=965&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ffzsVLj4EIGUyASVr4HYDg&ved=0CDIQsAQ&dpr=1
As you can see, most of these cars are 2 bay covered hoppers Both rolled steel sides and fabricated(rib) type construction.
If you look up "pittsburgh frac sand train" on google images, you'll see some wonderful high res pictures of two seperate accidents that ended up in the Post Gazette that provide reporting marks for the proper type of covered hopper.
Jimmy_Braum I've been looking for the correct car, but nothing yet.
I'm always looking for ACF 2 bay hoppers, at a reasonable price. I don't even mind who the're lettered for, as I remove everything but the data. RTR, if you can find them in stock, run close to $30. and up. Front Range kits are at a decent price, if you watch the auction and swap sites.
Here is where the cars are unloaded at Williston, I don't remember ever seeing entire trains of frac sand but groups of cars like in the photo. The large bins are where the sand is stored temporarily and the trucks would drive through under them for loading. (the photo will come later today when I figure that out).
jrbernier Jimmy, Look at this link... https://www.google.com/search?q=frac+sand+hoppers&espv=2&biw=1680&bih=965&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ffzsVLj4EIGUyASVr4HYDg&ved=0CDIQsAQ&dpr=1 As you can see, most of these cars are 2 bay covered hoppers Both rolled steel sides and fabricated(rib) type construction. Jim
Here is where the cars are unloaded in Williston. There is only a group of 4 cars, located in the center of the photo, at this time:
Here is where they are loaded in North Branch, MN. The frac facility is on the far right. The covered hoppers are not all the same. There are usually 5 or 10 cars there at a time. The foreground industry is dog food.
I noticed a whole lot of old 3-by ACF covered hoppers parked near the yard in Elmira, NY over the weekend for fracking in the area. I'll try to take pics once the snow melts -- in July!
bottom of the page
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=Freight&subc=HOPPER
http://www.americanlimitedmodels.com/category_s/1515.htm?searching=Y&sort=13&cat=1515&show=60&page=1
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=ACF+2970+Hopper+RTR&CatID=THRF
Thanks for the link Denver. I've also got my eye on the intermountain ACF 2 bay covered hopper kits,when they are released.
The American Limited cars are spendy! A 50 car train will cost $2,500.00!
NP2626 The American Limited cars are spendy! A 50 car train will cost $2,500.00!