CSSHEGEWISCH It would require a rather complex drawbar to put together three or five-car sets of AAR Class GT coal cars when these cars are designed to be emptied in rotary dumpers.
It would require a rather complex drawbar to put together three or five-car sets of AAR Class GT coal cars when these cars are designed to be emptied in rotary dumpers.
Wouldn't be complex whatsoever. Here's a patent from McConway & Torley http://www.freepatentsonline.com/RE33985.html Even then if using a standard drawbar. Dual, multicar dumpers exist. If not packing 3 or 5 together you can create pairs.
SD60MAC9500Since these monster bulk trains are the new norm. Maybe it's time to start creating drawbarred 3, or 5 packs of these hoppers.
What's the advantage?
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The advantage to drawbars over coulplers would be the elimination of knuckles (i.e., the weakest link in the connection). At one time, Wisconsin Electric had some of its cars connected via drawbars into three-unit sets--I presume that the rotary couplers didn't present any problems to dumping the cars one at a time. But I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, of these gons had their couplers restored.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
CShaveRRThe advantage to drawbars over coulplers would be the elimination of knuckles (i.e., the weakest link in the connection). At one time, Wisconsin Electric had some of its cars connected via drawbars into three-unit sets--I presume that the rotary couplers didn't present any problems to dumping the cars one at a time. But I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, of these gons had their couplers restored.
The intrain forces these doubled up coal trains are able to generate and exceed the ability of anything to keep two cars 'coupled' to each other. Be that couplers with normal strength knuckles, couplers with high strength knuckles or drawbars. Knuckles can be repaired in the field with a 'relatively small' amount of delay to the train by the train's own crew. Drawbars, on the other hand, when they fail take a lot of effort from parties in addition to the involved train to get the train back in a movable mode, with or without the affected cars.
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zugmann SD60MAC9500 Since these monster bulk trains are the new norm. Maybe it's time to start creating drawbarred 3, or 5 packs of these hoppers. What's the advantage?
SD60MAC9500
- PDN.
Paul_D_North_Jr zugmann SD60MAC9500 Since these monster bulk trains are the new norm. Maybe it's time to start creating drawbarred 3, or 5 packs of these hoppers. What's the advantage? Good point. Any coupler is going to be 'the weak link in the chain'. Drawbars greatly reduce the number of opportunities, but the adjoining coupler isn't going to be any stronger and may then be the next point of failure. - PDN.
Good point. Any coupler is going to be 'the weak link in the chain'. Drawbars greatly reduce the number of opportunities, but the adjoining coupler isn't going to be any stronger and may then be the next point of failure.
Not to mention the pin that holds the drawbar in. Often when a drawbar comes out, the pin has come out. Other times, a lot more than just the pin has been torn up.
Last night, I was on a 12000' manifest. We were stopped because a couple of trains ahead where having problems, with no way around them in Council Bluffs/Omaha. One was a 16000' double coal train. Before leaving, the out going dispatcher notified us that we were going to exchange trains with the coal train crew, once they could bring us along side them.
We still sat for another hour or so, when we heard the new dispatcher tell a crew cabbing down to get a train coming up from Kansas City that they were going to get the coal train instead, and it's crew was going to cab home. We were going to stay on our original train.
We got out ahead of the coal train. We heard them dial the 9-1-1 call over the radio, they were in emergency going over the top of our largest hill in western Iowa. A train they were meeting found a separation and I think they stopped and fixed the knuckle, while the conductor was still walking the train. They found something else, but not sure if it was another separation. Ultimately, I think I heard they found that an air hose had come apart causing the emergency and the separation(s).
They split the train at the next crew change instead of the planned one farther down the line.
Jeff
PS. It should be noted that the knuckles are the weakest link for a reason. It's (usually) a lot easier changing a knuckle instead of a drawbar.
jeffhergertPS. It should be noted that the knuckles are the weakest link for a reason. It's (usually) a lot easier changing a knuckle instead of a drawbar.
Hence the stories of knuckle farms at spots where they frequently fail.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
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