Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Front end loader as a switcher

3597 views
11 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Potomac Yard
  • 2,767 posts
Posted by NittanyLion on Friday, October 1, 2021 1:04 PM

Water Level Route

 

 
NittanyLion
I once saw a very determined forklift, sans fork, pushing a covered hopper.

 

There's a kit for that.

 

While this one is european, I've seen them available with a knuckle coupler on them as well.

 

That's a new one for me.

The one I saw had been stripped down to the point that it looked more like a riding lawn mower than a forklift.  It then had a bar, akin to a car's bumper, welded to the front.

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Friday, October 1, 2021 11:44 AM

mh1

Zugman: your comment made my day. 

 

And you made my day.  Was worried nobody else knew. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Friday, October 1, 2021 11:43 AM

JDawg
I just drove through manhoman MN. Saw a front end loader with its bucket shoving 4 covered hoppers at the local elevator. Had the tip of the bucket on the knuckle coupler itself. No special attachmeant, just metal to metal. 

Ever wonder why so many hopper have the end ladders bent in?  Yeah... this may have something to do with it.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

mh1
  • Member since
    July 2010
  • 29 posts
Posted by mh1 on Friday, October 1, 2021 10:38 AM

Zugman: your comment made my day. 

  • Member since
    September 2020
  • 432 posts
Posted by JDawg on Friday, October 1, 2021 10:22 AM

I just drove through manhoman MN. Saw a front end loader with its bucket shoving 4 covered hoppers at the local elevator. Had the tip of the bucket on the knuckle coupler itself. No special attachmeant, just metal to metal. 

JJF


Prototypically modeling the Great Northern in Minnesota with just a hint of freelancing. Smile, Wink & Grin

Yesterday is History.

Tomorrow is a Mystery.

But today is a Gift, that is why it is called the Present. 

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Thursday, September 30, 2021 2:38 PM

Is that Klaus?????

 

 

(if you know...you know)

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

  • Member since
    February 2015
  • From: Ludington, MI
  • 1,862 posts
Posted by Water Level Route on Thursday, September 30, 2021 12:18 PM

NittanyLion
I once saw a very determined forklift, sans fork, pushing a covered hopper.

There's a kit for that.

While this one is european, I've seen them available with a knuckle coupler on them as well.

Mike

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Potomac Yard
  • 2,767 posts
Posted by NittanyLion on Thursday, September 30, 2021 9:56 AM

NVSRR

Some places have even  removed the bucket and put on a plate with a coupler.  

They even sell kits for that, with brakes!

https://www.sasforks.com/product/railcar-coupler-attachment-estop/

I once saw a very determined forklift, sans fork, pushing a covered hopper.

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Thursday, September 30, 2021 9:40 AM

NVSRR
Some places have even  removed the bucket and put on a plate with a coupler.  

Didn't Cody Grivno do this in an MR article, perhaps one of his step by step projects?  It goes back a few years that I know.

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 1,950 posts
Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 4:32 PM

some smaller grain elevators do that too.  Usually operations that move a small enough number of loasds that a locomotive isnt finacially feasable, but getting the local serving RR is a bit pricey.   From what I have seen over the years, that seams to be the guiding reasons for using a loader.  Some places have even  removed the bucket and put on a plate with a coupler.  Of course , comes in handy in winter too. 

 

SHane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: North Carolina
  • 1,905 posts
Posted by csxns on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 3:02 PM

Tin Can II
cement unloading

Nolen Concrete did this for years used a front end loader too move the 100 ton cars too unload and I did it myself the two years I worked for Nolen.

Russell

  • Member since
    March 2021
  • 260 posts
Front end loader as a switcher
Posted by Tin Can II on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 2:04 PM

I knew that some industries used non-locomotives as power to move cars for spotting.  Today, I saw a front end loader moving a cut of 70 ton covered hoppers on a spur at a cement unloading facility.  The loader was parallel to the cars; not sure if it was chained to the cars, or if it nudged one of the cars to get them rolling.  The spur is relatively flat, so I do not think gravity was involved, and the loader was mid cut of at least three cars, maybe four.  I had a very restricted view of the move.  There was an employee / brakeman riding a car, applying hand brakes.  This was in Dodge City, KS.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!