Conrail Twin Tub Coal Porter

[texasperry]

Folks,

I am an N scale modeler. I have both Athern and Deluxe inovation Conrail twin tub coal porters. I have just finished up my track work at the power plant. I was dragging a few around to test the track. It dawned on me these to not have the typical painted ends to indicate the rotary coupler. 

How did conrail mark the ends with the rotary coupler. 

Thanks

Perry 

[DSchmitt]

Photos of protootype Conrail car.  Does not appear to be any marking designateng rotary coupler end.

http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/FreightCars/Coalporters

 

This is a thread about markings end

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/130133.aspx

 

[caldreamer]

Does that mean as I think it does, that thes cars are not equipped with rotary couplers???

    Caldreamer

[davidmurray]

caldreamer

Does that mean as I think it does, that thes cars are not equipped with rotary couplers???

My understanding is that coalporters did not have bottom or side dump mechanisms.  If so, and no rotary couplers they would be a pain to unload.

Depending upon the unloading facility they might unload two cars at a time, so if set up right only one car in two would need a rotary coupler.

 

[mbinsewi]

Ooops! never mind.  I thought those round "tubes" on the bottom were quick dump doors, but they are not, just extra space for coal to give more stability to the car.

Maybe they had rotary couplers at both ends.

This might help you:

http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/gon/gong52xproto.html

Some good info in there.

Mike.

PS.  DSchmitt's link:

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/130133.aspx

[Overmod]

mbinsewi

Maybe they had rotary couplers at both ends.

Detail picture (from photos associated with Conrail Cyclopedia link given) from early 1998 shows draft gear and coupler detail on G52X cars:

[cv_acr]

They could uncouple the cars to turn them in the dumper, this was done with other types of cars like unloading woodchip cars in rotary dumpers that did not have rotary couplers. This would be a pain with the long 100-car unit trains, but doable especially at smaller installations.