Michigan Company's Proposal For an estimated 66,000 backhaul loads for Auto Racks ?

[samfp1943]

The TRAINS NEWSWIRE f this date 02/17/2021 has an article by Bill Stephens regarding  the above subject line.

FTA:"...Pro-Tech Group, which has designed containers to fit within the confines of auto racks that carry finished vehicles, has successfully completed pilot runs carrying pallets of wheel rims from California to Dearborn, Mich. 

“The benefit of this process is to eliminate the 66,000 railcars that come back empty” each year, Pro-Tech CEO Earle B. Higgins tells Trains News Wire..."

"PIE-IN-THE -SKY"  ?   Surely an intersting topic,  sunds like someone has really been examining a subject that ought to have railroad sales forces interested....A new approach to finding a new  'TOOL' for an already existing customer base..  Will it work? 

WHO will try it out?

 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Probably nobody.  Postings elsewhere pointed out that autoracks are pool cars which are free runners, among other things.

[BaltACD]

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/286707/3317384.aspx#3317384

[tree68]

What's the backhaul for the containers?  Or do they get folded up and backhauled as deadweight?

[samfp1943]

[quote user="tree68"]  Larry:

I was also curious about the 'system' Pro-Tec Grp was advocating,  Did a little "search'.. Here is a linked site thatr has a better [hotograph of one ot their 'containers being laded into an Auto Rack car.

Linked @ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/02/16/2175900/0/en/Pro-Tech-Group-Demonstrates-First-Ever-Mobile-Container-System-Utilizing-Empty-Autoracks.html

FTL:"... The company’s logistics system is designed around efficiently loading Pro-Tech containers into empty deadheading autoracks for delivery to key hubs across the country. The steel-framed, hard-side containers provide a pilfer-resistant and controlled shipping environment for two standard 48 x 40 pallets loaded with variety of parts, assemblies and other goods. A bi-level autorack can be loaded with up to 18 Pro-Tech containers holding 36 pallets. The containers are collapsible, which enables them to be easily stored or transported as stackable flats back to cargo pick-up points..."

The photos on ths linked article give a better idea as to how their containers are lopaded and would ride on the lwer decks of the returning auto racks.   

Similarly, Within the Supply Chain for auto plants, they use various rack systems to transport car parts [ie: frames, doors, various body panel parts,etc.]

    These empty parts racks get cycled[ from end users, back to manufacturing plants.]   Most of these seem to utiilize the high cube boxcars they arrive at end user facilities in; so this 'new container service' might seem to overlay that paradigm(?) 

 

[/quote]

[chicagorails]

Sounds good,let's try it. 

[Backshop]

The article also mentions that they work for bi-level autoracks while the vast majority of autoracks are tri-levels.

[Overmod]

I suppose there's a reason we need two threads about weird container-in-auto-carrier 'utilize the silence' publicity, but a thread about steam baseline powerplants (with recognized legitimate rail content) gets canned without notice.

[SD70Dude]

Overmod

a thread about steam baseline powerplants (with recognized legitimate rail content) gets canned without notice.

Someone must have reported it.  Seems to be the only way threads get deleted.  I suppose it did have a political sheen to it.

[Overmod]

Problem was in part that it had paragraphs and paragraphs about current efforts to use Victorian brown coal, that I cited as background in the other thread to go with Peter Clark's comments but have now had to remove.

Densified coal using their 'Col-Dry' process might have been an interesting alternative for some operations with the right mix of plant.  It is now apparently being touted for a range of non-combustion, zero carbon uses; I wish them luck because they'll apparently need it...

[SD70Dude]

Is someone trying to manufacture carbon fibre or nanotubes from coal?

Hypothetically, could one manufacture synthetic railroad ties from that material, and has such a tie ever been tried?

[Overmod]

SD70Dude

Is someone trying to manufacture carbon fibre or nanotubes from coal?

Not directly.  The precursors are more easily derived from petroleum or gas at this point, although either a Fischer-Tropsch-like process or SRC could provide comparably pure feedstock.

Hypothetically, could one manufacture synthetic railroad ties from that material, and has such a tie ever been tried?

There is enough trouble already with ties made of good fuel material -- admittedly the issue with tie fires is greatly reduced with retirement of steam power and reduction of friction-brake use with dynamics... but brown coal would need either chemical treatment or a better 'tension aggregate' to function as effective replacement for wood in a tie, or a large amount of binder to function as a 'plastic' tie replacement.

I remember some discussions about heat and pressure used with some types of resin for ties when we were discussing "fibergrass" as an appropriate technology ('Small is Beautiful') with Steve Slaby in 1975.   It is technically feasible, with the right stuff... whether it's cost-effective, or long-lasting, or there isn't a better alternative, is another story entirely.