I've got a Walthers 72' centerbeam in need of a load, but that project had been back burnered for some time.
Last night, I looked through the March 2017 issue and really enjoyed the aluminum billet load article. Unfortunately, the one prototype image was very small and I've only found one picture so far online. I'm assuming these loads are rare (I've never seen one). I've only seen wrapped and unwrapped lumber and railroad ties on centerbeams. Is there anything else that gets shipped on these cars? I'm leaning towards doing a billet load just out of the "its something different" than a bunch of wood!
Don't know.
But.
Fir weighs 33-38 pounds per cubic foot. Aluminum weighs 169 pounds per cubic foot. So your aluminum load should be about 1/5 as big as a wood load. Which likely shows up in the picture.
Protoloads offers two aluminum loads for Atlas centerbeam cars. You might check them out.
I found this picture that is pretty similar to the Protoload models:
I think you could also haul prefab wood trusses. I would think a centerbeam would be ideal for hauling ones that were between 10 and 12 feet high. Below 10, you can lay them flat on a flatcar. Much over 12, I guess you can, too; but you'll have excess clearance problems. Where expenses might go so high that the truss would be built on-site.
There are 98 pages of photos of centerbeam flats here:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?road=TTZX
I suggest you go through them and see if you turn up anything useful. And please let us know. I've done some work for you, now it's back in your court.
Ed
I have seen wallboard shipped on centerbeams but visually it is no more interesting than seeing plywood.
One thing that is different that I have seen -- where lumber or plywood loads on centerbeams have gaps I have seen those gaps filled with 1) white plastic inflatable "pillows" and also 2) with what look like large cardboard tubes - by large, I mean almost like cardboard 55 gallon drums or barrels.
Dave Nelson
I went looking for this Protoloads company and they offer graphite electrodes for electric arc furnaces as a load. Now that's something I haven't seen in combing through photos. It seems the average centerbeam photo is "empty."
I missed the graphite load. Very neat, as I used to watch one of those furnaces work.
Here's a shot of one of their aluminum loads:
They don't offer the above as a separate load, but as a loaded car. They also show a steel load, but it looks kind of "big" for a steel load. But of course, it all depends on the wall thickness. You could fill a centerbeam with heating duct and it would still be light.
I make my ownl wrapped laods using wood or plastic covered with paper wrappers that I have printed. I have a CD with many different wrappers and I can make a zip file up and send it to you if you would like.
Ira
Hard to believe, but sheet steel comes in 4 x 8 sheets, just like plywood. Except heavier. A centerbeam could easily haul those.
I am NOT saying sheet steel doesn't come in other sizes. But I had to buy some 1/4" plate for a job, and was kinda surprised when the guy said 4 x 8. 320 pounds. Luckily, they delivered.
Well, it's hard to imagine that the car of choice for hauling steel, or other metals, be it sheet or beams, or other forms, would be the center beam, as it has to be loaded and un-loaded equally on each side, no matter what the load is. Maybe thats all that was availiable.
Just my thoughts.
Mike
My You Tube
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=76833
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
It says I have to log in or create an account.
mbinsewi Well, it's hard to imagine that the car of choice for hauling steel, or other metals, be it sheet or beams, or other forms, would be the center beam, as it has to be loaded and un-loaded equally on each side, no matter what the load is. Maybe thats all that was availiable. Just my thoughts. Mike
It sounds like you think it's bad to load and unload steel "equally on each side". But wood and sheetrock are loaded and unloaded "equally on each side" all the time.
I don't see your point.
It is free. I don't know why they require registration.
Here are some photographs of bulkhead flatcars carrying aluminum cylinders.
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=78222
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=86309
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=86463
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=87029
Nope, sorry, all I get is the log-in box. Maybe it's a FireFox thing??? Don't know.
And Ed, my point was that you need access to both sides of a center beam, where loads on a regular or bulkheab flat can be loaded and unloaded from one side.
Mike.
EDIT: Just went to RailCarPhotos.com, and before I can use it, I need to register. It is free, but you still have to register to view what you search for.
EDIT: OK, I registered, now I'm waiting for the activation email before I can log in. I had this problem with the Bachmann forums too. Activation email never arrived.
So, I went through the 98 pages of TTZX centerbeam pictures and found exactly one: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3905857
Clearly, this is not a common load!