I was observing a CSX switcher taking a cut of autoracks into the Nissan Auto plant in Smyrna, TN from the Hwy 41 overpass (public property). In the middle of the autoracks was about 7 or 8 empty gondolas. I was curious to know why an auto assembly plant would need empty gons? Maybe to load junk or damaged parts?
They would need it for scrap steel to go back to the mill. Anymore the car plants have the body panel stamping presses in the factory. They get rolls of steel feed those into the press and get fresh panels to prep and paint. It is cheaper to ship coils of steel than body panels as steel takes up less room. So at the factories that had the room they installed massive and they are massive in the area of 5000-7000 tons of pressure presses to stamp out the body panels then they weld them up prep and paint them in the factory. It also allows for easier quality control and also for factories to make more than 1 model. That factory in TN makes about 4 different models for Nissian IIRC we haul plastic resins to some of the plant suppliers down there. Same thing for the BMW plant in SC Kia Hundyai in AL they all get the raw steel coils and stamp the panels right out. Then they ship out the scrap in gons back to the mill to be recylced into more steel.
And here I thought maybe they were preparing to ship another car to me... sure seems the last one I got was shipped in a gondola... or side-dump hopper.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Semper Vaporo And here I thought maybe they were preparing to ship another car to me... sure seems the last one I got was shipped in a gondola... or side-dump hopper.
CSSHEGEWISCHI've seen any number of automobiles shipped in gondolas, although they had already been compressed into a cube.Whistling
My 1999 Chevy S 10 may have met the fate. It was faithful for the fifteen years I drove it but all good things come to an end. Asi es la vida.
Norm
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