Sanding towers?

[tomikawaTT]

As steam was phased out, some concrete coaling stations remained - because they housed the sand storage and servicing facility.  I recall the concrete coal dock in Tucson, still standing a couple of decades after the last steam loco left the local rails.  Unfortunately, it was removed and is no more.

I also recall seeing a photo of a facility on a Northeast road where walkways and new sand hoses had been installed at a convenient height for servicing diesel sand boxes.

Late in the steam era, an SP shopman came up with a modified sand nozzle that got results with a lot less sand.  If that has been adopted on a widespread basis, the need for sand is probably a lot lower than it was when Santa Fe added second sand domes to their mountain country steamers.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[jjdamnit]

Hello all,

That is a feed, seed and grain facility in La Junta, Colorado, aptly named The Lajunta Mill and Elevator Company. 

gmpullman

While not located at a sanding tower I thought I'd post this shot out the window of the Texas Eagle a few years ago: Another hopper on stilts... Regards, Ed

On a road-trip last summer I had a chance to inspect this facility up close. Apparently the re-purposed hopper was initially used to load train cars. There are still the remnants of the spur tracks under the structure.

The hopper is supported by steel beams tied into the buildings structure on one side and triangular walls made from cinder blocks on the other.

Now it seems to service semi-truck traffic. It doesn't seem to be used very often compared to the other loading facilities at the plant.

It would be a great structure to model in any era as it still stands today in 2016.

Hope this helps.

[pajrr]

Here is a link that shows the sanding towers at the CSX yard in Selkirk, NY.   http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=532696&nseq=305

[BRAKIE]

wjstix

Also, engine facilities in recent years have become less common, more "centralized", and have become less accessible - more likely to have service / shop areas behind fences and away from places the general public could see them.

Very true and times has changed. When I took the photo of the RS11 and GP9 I was allowed to walk up to the engines in order to take the photo-a oddity in its self seeing N&W was never overly friendly to railfans.

Today the locals no longer works out of that town the yard,yard office and service area and both branch lines is in the annuals of history and the yard area is a strip mall..

[wjstix]

Goosetown

Since getting into the RR hobby, I understand what sanding did for the railroads.  But in all honesty, I have never seen one outside of a restored depot museum type of display.

Sanding towers have changed over time, so if you're only familiar with steam-era ones, you might not recognize a modern one. Here's links to some model ones that explain what I mean (and sorry if link isn't "live", have some issues with this computer....)

Old style:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3182

Newer style:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/507-3011040

Also, engine facilities in recent years have become less common, more "centralized", and have become less accessible - more likely to have service / shop areas behind fences and away from places the general public could see them.

 

[BRAKIE]

dehusman

Generally, nationwide, the servicing of remotely located engines at smaller terminals is being done by trucks instead of fixed facilities.

Sadly that's all to true..The little engine area with sand towers has fallen to modernization of the railroad plant  in recent years.

I had a photo of  a N&W RS-11 and GP9 setting in one of these areas. Rustic railroading at its best.

Happily some of these still remain in service on some larger short lines and terminal/switching roads that require several locomotives. I fear these to will fall to service by a contractor's truck.

[dehusman]

So it may be a regional thing.  May not be accurate to model for my area?

It is an era thing and a regional thing only to the extent that your prototype railroad had policies regarding locomotive servicing.

Generally, nationwide, the servicing of remotely located engines at smaller terminals is being done by trucks instead of fixed facilities.  Fuel, sand and lube oil is being delivered by trucks direct to the locomotive and the fixed facilities are being retired.  They are a mainenance hassle.  My father-in-law was a pipefitter for the MP at Houston and one of his jobs was the maintain the sand tower.

Yes they are still in use, yes there are fewer of them, but there are also fewer shops and fixed fueling facilities too.

[BRAKIE]

Goosetown

So it may be a regional thing. May not be accurate to model for my area? How offen do they have to drop sand (if that is the proper term)?

Every locomotive needed sand and in your era and sanding towers would be found at small engine service areas in small yards in smaller towns or cities that had locals based out of them.

Make no mistake sand was and is still needed even these computer controlled locomotives of today.

Rails get slick from rain,snow,ice, leafs,sand is needed on grades and starting heavy tonnage trains.Some times sand is used in yard switching due to wet rails and pulling a long cut of cars..

When the wheel slip indicator flashed the engineer would turn on the sanders however, the more skilled engineer would turn the sanders on before the light would flash. Today the on board computer turns on the sanders.

[pajrr]

Goosetown

dehusman

Go to a mapping program.  Search for N Platte, NE.  Look around the yard there are 3 sanding facilities.  One at the diesel shop service track, one on the eastbound runthroughs and one on the westbound.

Sanding towers are at major service tracks.  They are more rare since the number of mechanical servicing facilites have been reduced since modern diesels have bigger fuel tanks and need less servicing.

 

So it may be a regional thing.  May not be accurate to model for my area?

How offen do they have to drop sand (if that is the proper term)?

Sand isn't regional. All railroads use sand, but some more than others. Sand towers were not usually found at trackside locations outside of engine terminals like water towers and coal tipples, since sand is only used when conditions call for it. It is used in slippery conditions when wheels start to slip, such as wet leaves, and on grades, (Where do you think Sandpatch grade gets its name from?). You may use sand in your life when you drive--put it in your driveway or sidewalk in icy conditions--no reason to put sand on dry pavement. Modern diesels still use sand. Some wheel slip technology even applies it to the rails automatically when the computer senses slip conditions.

 

Another thing too is that sand towers themselves are structures for servicing many locomotives. If you are a shortline (especially in the steam days) with only a couple locomotives you wouldn't waste precious money on a structure used once a day if that. You would have a sand bin and some buckets and employees would form a bucket brigade, passing buckets along to the guy up on top of the locomotive who would dump the sand into the locomotive sand dome. A modern diesel carries normally 30 - 40 cubic feet of sand. Their sand boxes just are not visible, unlike most steam locomotives. A small stream of sand is applied to the railhead just in front of the drivers. A little can go a long way.

[gmpullman]

While not located at a sanding tower I thought I'd post this shot out the window of the Texas Eagle a few years ago:

Another hopper on stilts...

Regards, Ed

[Goosetown]

mbinsewi

Great picture!  Yep, the WC, "what ever it takes".  And, if the OP is modeling the CNW, as his avatar shows, they probably did the same, being employee owned, towards the end.

Mike.

 

Cheap and Nothing Wasted has been coined by a fellow modeler.

[mbinsewi]

Great picture!  Yep, the WC, "what ever it takes".  And, if the OP is modeling the CNW, as his avatar shows, they probably did the same, being employee owned, towards the end.

Mike.

[Stevert]

mbinsewi

The WC had a out-of-service hopper mounted on legs, to provide sand, in their Fond du Lac, WI. yard

Mike.

Mike,

  The WC had one of those covered hopper sanding towers in their Gladstone, Michigan yard as well. 

  Last time I was up that way (a few years ago, although more recently than that linked photo), it was still there although the WC shield had been removed.

[mbinsewi]

Well, bigger locomotives, still need sanding facilities.  Google "railroad sanding towers", and see what you get.  There are a lot of sophisticated systems, that use pnuematic pressure to move the sand, and also a lot of loco facilites that use gravity feed.

The WC had a out-of-service hopper mounted on legs, to provide sand, in their Fond du Lac, WI. yard

The era your modeling would have the same "home buildt" facilities, or the towers, like the Walthers kits.

The need to sand, would depend on the conditions, and used year around.  It's all about the need for traction.

Mike.

[Goosetown]

dehusman

Go to a mapping program.  Search for N Platte, NE.  Look around the yard there are 3 sanding facilities.  One at the diesel shop service track, one on the eastbound runthroughs and one on the westbound.

Sanding towers are at major service tracks.  They are more rare since the number of mechanical servicing facilites have been reduced since modern diesels have bigger fuel tanks and need less servicing.

 

So it may be a regional thing.  May not be accurate to model for my area?

How offen do they have to drop sand (if that is the proper term)? 

[mlehman]

dehusman

Sanding towers are at major service tracks. They are more rare since the number of mechanical servicing facilites have been reduced since modern diesels have bigger fuel tanks and need less servicing.

Bigger sand reservoirs, too. Compare the sand dome on a typical steamer to...? Well, you rarely see them, because they're behind the cowl or hood, but there are large bins that have a much higher capacity than the small round dome on steam. Plus I suspect that on a daily basis, locos tend to use less sand. Steam often could be rather "slippery" and sanding was a way to compensate for that. Modern diesels usually have some form of wheel-slip control that automatically limits wheel slip, so less need for sand because what was formerly controled by friction is now controlled electronically. The irony is both involve sand, silicone dioxide, one in natural form and the other as tiny parts of various microchips.

[dehusman]

Go to a mapping program.  Search for N Platte, NE.  Look around the yard there are 3 sanding facilities.  One at the diesel shop service track, one on the eastbound runthroughs and one on the westbound.

Sanding towers are at major service tracks.  They are more rare since the number of mechanical servicing facilites have been reduced since modern diesels have bigger fuel tanks and need less servicing.

[Goosetown]

Since getting into the RR hobby, I understand what sanding did for the railroads.  But in all honesty, I have never seen one outside of a restored depot museum type of display.

Are they still in use today?

Granted, I live in the prairie of southern MN.  Was sanding more seasonal or topograhical??

I'm modeling the late 60's, early 70's C&NW through MN if it matters.

Thanks, Chris