Damaged Locos

[Train Guy 3]

How much damage must occur to a locomotive before the raildraod will scrap it ? What about frieght cars? I've seen several bocars that had large welded spots where it was obviosly wrecked or hit. And when the locomotive goes to the scrap yard will the railraod drop the prime mover out or any other parts.

[Anonymous]

Some locomotives are scrapped because they are old and have no use.
Im against scrapping one-of-a kind locomotives. Depending on how extensive the damage is, a locomitve may be sold to other RR or rebuilt.

Alaska Railroad scrapped locos too. In this picture, http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/JC-2504.html
A GP30 is not damaged, but rather old. It was scrapped after retirement 3 years ago:
http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/JK-2504-1.jpg

As you can see, the prime mover is still in there.

(My 11th post today, I hope Im done[:)])

[edblysard]

Train Guy,
It isnt so much age for locomotives as miles run.
Most locomotives get a major overhaul around 500,000 miles, and get to two or three rebuilds before the railroad beging to think about scraping or trading.
Remember, these things are overbuilt on purpose, everything about them is oversized and over engineered, to take the beating and abuse.

As for frieght cars, as long as the frame, bolster and trucks are ok, and the major body parts still work, they can go 30 or 40 years.
Most tankcars have a 10 year inspection cycle for the tank(pressure test, safety valve test every 4 years).
What it boils down to is, as long as the car can still perform the function it was designed for, like a box car, keeping its contents dry and out of the weather, the owner will keep on repairing it when damaged.
So far, the oldest frieght car I have seen in interchange service this year was a small tank car, used to move fuel additives, built on 08/1958.
There is a FRA retirement time limit, (I dont know how long) for cars in interchange service, but its a lot longer that you would expect.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[wabash1]

Ed is pretty much right except as a yard bird he dont see the big picture. ( at least around here) if a train is derailed and cars go on there side the railroad use to dig a big hole and bury it. now a days they cut the cars up. it might have very little damage but they wont even rerail it they shove it off to the side and open the line up for traffic then after they get trains running track speed they get the torch out and start cutting them up.

[Anonymous]

I'm always against scrapping any engine that isn't wrecked. If it's of no use to the railroad, it should go to a railroad museum! Some of these engines may not seem special now, but wait 50 years, we'll wish we still had them. Back when steam locomotives were being scrapped, few thought about the future. I bet we all wished they had.

On the subject of wrecked engines being scrapped, I once heard about a very bad CN derailment in the early 80's where a freight train fell down an embankment and burned up. I think there were a couple F units and at least one Geep (or the other way around). CN actually just burried them right there. They then dug them up a couple years later and then scrapped them.

Also, Ed, the FRA age limit for interchange cars is 50 years. This law was first passed in the early 70's and at the time many were upset about it because there were many freight cars over 50 years old which still fully met FRA regulations.

[Anonymous]

The oldest cars I saw in interchange before the 50 year rule was a series of 4 pocket coal cars of PRR built in 1912/13; they had broad end sills that you could tap-dance across. The Union Tank Line (UTLX) also ran a large number of tanks built in the late teens. The oldest non-revenue cars that I saw in service were a group of two-pocket coal cars in stone service belonging to the RF&PRR built in 1905! All this was in the early 70's.

[Anonymous]

I never thought of this in my initial post, but CP was using cattle cars built in 1913 as late as 1980. Of course, this wasn't for interchange.

[Mookie]

In keeping with the subject - I saw an SD70 with a new nose! It was in punkin orange
except the nose was painted all white like it was bandaged! And the right "cheek" had a white square on it, like a small spot on a scratch. Looked like it had bumped it's nose bad enough to require some damage control and patching! Very interesting look. (unless they are trying for a new paint scheme!)

Mookie

[kenneo]

FRA interchange limit is 30 years, extendable with ultrasonic inspections.

ANY car derailed and off the trucks usually has been twisted. It costs more to straighten (usually) than to buy new, and if this car should be involved in another derailment, you can bet there will be a new issue of Lawyer Enrichment written. I could go into a long involved explanation of what happens to steel when it is twisted, but the simple answer is that it never can be made to return to the way it was, and it will run correctly only if it has been returned to "new condition".

If a locomotive has damages exceeding its replacement value, by by.

[csxengineer98]

FRA time limit for years of service of equipment is 40 years....not 30..not 50...
this is to the one that said that all locomotives should be saved, regardless,...thats a nice thought, but not very partical at all..for anyone... think about it, if evey rail road museum got a SD40 whats the point....its not a big attention getter... and besides... its another way the rail roads can make a little extra capital for by new power... its not much granted...but a few bucks is better then no bucks at all.... it goes along the same lines of you buying a car...you use it for a few years..it gets old...now do you just down right sell it..or do you trade it in and use the capital to you get for it to use to buy a new one... i dont know anyone that would rush out and give a 98 model year car to a museum
csxengineer

[Anonymous]

[:(]Between Marshall Tx And Shreveport La there Is A lot
of railcars (boxcars hoppers tanks ect) that have been scrapped
it looks like 2 whole trains stacked uniformly on top each other
you can see a lot of them are UP MP MKT WP C&NW SP & SSW
some Are In Good Shape probally the under frames damaged
they might of came from a derailment back in 95 from UP's
Reisor yd in greenwood La near the GM plant Out side Shreveport
I remember the RR Police Catching 6 guys stealing car axles with wheels
he seen me in the woods and questioned me about some thing that got stolen
Aluminum hoppers Weighing 250 pounds each 4 were missing 3 off 1 car
1 off the other UP cut them off to put the car on A flatcar or derail car
after they cut them off they went home and waited for daylight
when the bull was asking if i seen who took them A truck pulls up
6 guys get out with 2x4's and tried to roll them onto a flat bed pickup
the bull looks at me and saya If they can get one wheel in the truck he'll pretend he didnt see them but when it almost broke one guys leg he stopped them
It was sad to see the train go to scrap but ther was two much damage to the
body[8D]

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

FRA time limit for years of service of equipment is 40 years....not 30..not 50...
csxengineer

When I was last working for a railroad, here was the rule: [:)]
Unrestricted interchange requires roller bearings and built date age of less that 30 years. At age 30, the car is subject to restrictions which can be as draconian as scrapping, could have its life extended to 40 years or with certain tests conducted and other requirements being met, the car can then continue on for up to another 30 years. If the car passes the tests and requirements, it is usually considered a "new car" and receives a new built date. HOWEVER, those tests and requirements are rather expensive to meet and in most cases can exceed the cost of a new car, so usually the cars are cut up even as early as 15 years, but usually 25 years or so. If the cars life was extended to 40 years, it was required that the extension permit number be stenciled on the car next to the built date.

If you want the 2003 rules, you can get them from the FRA's web site where the mechanical rules are listed. fra.dot.gov