Many box cars in automobile service had doors on the "A" end and were unloaded at ramps at freight terminals. When were these cars turned so that the "A" end would be facing the right direction for the ramp at the destination? Not all yards had a wye or a roundhouse with a turntable.
Did someone figure out which way the car needed to face at the final destination when the car was loaded? Was it marked on the car with chalk or something? Special instructions on the waybill for it to be turned at the last stop with a turntable or wye before it reached it's destination?
Another possibility. Build a temporary ramp.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
If a car was facing the wrong way, it was up to the conductor placing the car to turn the car if he had a way to turn it or report that the car needed turning to the yardmaster if he didn't have a way to turn it. Then the yardmaster could send the the car to be turned. Some box cars were loaded in such a way that they had to be unloaded from one side and they usually had "UNLOAD FROM THIS SIDE" and "UNLOAD FROM OTHER SIDE" placards on the tack boards. A conductor that that was familiar with his work would sometimes know that there were certain cars that could be spotted "backwards" and still be unloaded, but, in general, it was better to try to get things right the first time.
So if a car arrived at it's destination facing the wrong way and couldn't be unloaded, and there was no wye or turntable at the destination, the car had to be put on another train, sent to where it could be turned and then returned to the destination?
JWhite So if a car arrived at it's destination facing the wrong way and couldn't be unloaded, and there was no wye or turntable at the destination, the car had to be put on another train, sent to where it could be turned and then returned to the destination? Yes. As an (worst case) example, a nearby shortline that receives a "backwards" car in interchange from the connecting Class 1 has to return the car to the Class 1 to be turned so that it can be unloaded at the customer's platform. The shortline doesn't have a wye or turntable.
Yes. As an (worst case) example, a nearby shortline that receives a "backwards" car in interchange from the connecting Class 1 has to return the car to the Class 1 to be turned so that it can be unloaded at the customer's platform. The shortline doesn't have a wye or turntable.
JWhite So if a car arrived at it's destination facing the wrong way and couldn't be unloaded, and there was no wye or turntable at the destination, the car had to be put on another train, sent to where it could be turned and then returned to the destination?
Yes but only in certain cases.
I know this for a fact since I have unloaded boxcars.. "Unload This side" or "Unload from other side" meant very little if the freight could be unloaded manually. The car would be spotted short of the dock and unloaded there.
To start the unloading process we would make a "pallet dock" (four equal stacks of pallets covered with large pieces of thick cardboard) so we could have a place to work until we could enter the car..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Another trick I've seen was to run a forklift from the loading dock onto a flatbed truck and back the truck up to the door on the "right" side of the boxcar.
After a conductor was on a job for a while, he could get some idea of what different consignees could handle. Of course, it was best to spot cars properly whenever possible.
I asked my conductor friend interviewed for my Railroading on the Wabash Fourth District book about this. As a conductor, he made it his duty to check on things like that for the customer. On the Gary Local (incidentally, a mixed) the Wabash had a wye where it connected with the NJI&I (about mid location on the line) that also facilitated turning a car if they had to.
Victor A. Baird
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Unloading fire trucks
http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/cool-idea-for-those-of-you-that-have-corgi-fire-trucks-and-double-door-end-door-box-cars?reply=24659873120032501
while I worked at a railroad, I heard many times that if a car showed up with the placard unload a specific side and there was no way to turn it, someone would remove the placards and then spot the car. Not the way it should have been done, but expediency does happen.
theodorefisk while I worked at a railroad, I heard many times that if a car showed up with the placard unload a specific side and there was no way to turn it, someone would remove the placards and then spot the car. Not the way it should have been done, but expediency does happen.
What I found to be true we just didn't have track time or the means for turning a boxcar.. Deliver said boxcar to customer and let them figure it out.