no one answered my question!

[Mookie]

so will try again -

FURX coal cars. About a 3" hole on one end. Looked like a place to stick a cylinder or a rod. Never seen it before on coal cars or any cars for that matter!

Why?

Mookie

[Randy Stahl]

For inserting a steam line (or something to that effect) to thaw frozen commodities.
Randy

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

so will try again -

FURX coal cars. About a 3" hole on one end. Looked like a place to stick a cylinder or a rod. Never seen it before on coal cars or any cars for that matter!

Why?

Mookie

I thought being a little more mature, you might have known the answer to this......okay ...here we go........the way you make more hopper cars is for the male hopper car to stick a rod in the FURX hole. [}:)]

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

For inserting a steam line (or something to that effect) to thaw frozen commodities.
Randy

It's only on FURX and I thought they used radiant heat on coal cars. Have never seen it on any of the other FURX cars before? Now I am going to go poke Dan in the eye!

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

so will try again -

FURX coal cars. About a 3" hole on one end. Looked like a place to stick a cylinder or a rod. Never seen it before on coal cars or any cars for that matter!

Why?

Mookie

DAN! [B)]

I thought being a little more mature, you might have known the answer to this......okay ...here we go........the way you make more hopper cars is for the male hopper car to stick a rod in the FURX hole. [}:)]

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

DAN! [B)]

Looks like the little guy was looking for love in all the wrong places...those FURX things are nothing but trouble.

[wcfan4ever]

Well they wouldn't put it there for no reason. Maybe it has something to do with lifting the car? Hooking onto something?

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wcfan4ever

Well they wouldn't put it there for no reason. Maybe it has something to do with lifting the car? Hooking onto something?

Exactly.....a suger daddy hopper so she can quit carrying coal, have a few little hoppers and watch "As the Turntable Turns" and "General Backshop" and eat Bon Bons all day!

[Junctionfan]

Don't forget "All My Rollingstock"

[Mookie]

I give up!

[mudchicken]

inspection port?

[Mookie]

Maybe - at least that is better than Dan's answer!

It was right next to the "porch" and down right above the wheels...., so maybe.

[dharmon]

It's part of the RRs response to the Hobo Manifesto. To increase safety and comfort of trainhoppers, they've provided a "relief" hole, so they don't endanger themselves going over the side.

[CShaveRR]

The FURX 925000s are, from a look at the Equipment Register listing (I've not seen these cars myself), air-operated quick-dumping hoppers. Is the hole in the vertical portion under the overhang?

How big around is it? It's just a circular opening in the flat end, right? (As opposed to a cylindrical cavity with walls)

Can't really picture it, Sis, so I don't even want to try to answer. I'll keep an eye on other coal hoppers to see if there's anything similar. I have a feeling that Mudchicken is on the right track, that this hole opens up an otherwise inaccessible area (for what reason is anyone's guess).

BC

[Anonymous]

maybe so they dont fill with water and... maybe destroy the coal... or less profits....

[fuzzybroken]

Is it similar to the hole on the end of ACF- and cylindrical-style covered hoppers? Then I'd say it's an access hole.

But I like dharmon's answer too. [}:)]

-Mark
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken

[Mookie]

The hole isn't as big as a manhole cover - it is very cylindrical and can't tell if it goes all the way thru or not. Yes, it is on the end panel of the car - down low, just above the trucks. Very obvious!

Now - why only on FURX and not on other coal cars. I have looked at a good many coal cars and have never seen this. Even the driver commented on it. And it was on a whole string of the FURX cars - the size was the same, only the end it was on differed. Some on the panel where the # was and some on the other end.

Here I am again - thinking I am going crazy seeing things! Yellow Thingies all over again!

Everyone be on the lookout for FURX Coal Cars - they were headed east!

Mook

[CShaveRR]

Wait a minute--is it on the end of the car, or on the end of the car side? When you mention the "panel with the number", it sounds like the hole is on the side of the car.

You mentioned that some are on the panel with the number, and others aren't. It would have been helpful to know whether these were on the end with the hand brake, or the end without (the end without the brake, by the way, will usually be the end with a rotary coupler, even on modern hoppers).

If it's on that side panel above the truck, it obviously isn't in the load-carrying portion of the side.

Still sounds like access is needed to something on the inside. And since it's on one end and not the other, I suspect that it has to do with something pneumatic--either the brake system or the unloading system.

[dharmon]

Is this what you're talking about on the end of the car in the pic?

http://www.johnstownamerica.com/products/fcp_autofloodii.htm

[Mookie]

Nice hole Dan! The hole looks to be about that size, but as Brother Carl sez - it is on the side panel - the first or sometimes the last side panel on the car. Don't remember why the difference - I was watching the cars go by pretty fast and fascinated by the holes!

On your picture - it would be below the BNSF and in the lower left-hand corner of that first panel.

I would take pictures, but by the time I developed them, we would forget what they were for!

Moo

[locomutt]

Mookie,
Go get a digital camera,instead of the trusty old Brownie;and then
just download 'em to the'puter;and presto,send via e-mail.[:)]

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Nice hole Dan! The hole looks to be about that size, but as Brother Carl sez - it is on the side panel - the first or sometimes the last side panel on the car. Don't remember why the difference - I was watching the cars go by pretty fast and fascinated by the holes!

On your picture - it would be below the BNSF and in the lower left-hand corner of that first panel.

I would take pictures, but by the time I developed them, we would forget what they were for!

Moo

I haven't heard that since I was last in jail.


Now as far as trains go, this is the closest I could find. But these are on the ends below the ladders. If its in the panel itself, I'd bet it is an inspection port to look at the opening gear if it's a rotary and bottom dump.


http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/gon/cr507716.jpg

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

Mookie,
Go get a digital camera,instead of the trusty old Brownie;and then
just download 'em to the'puter;and presto,send via e-mail.[:)]

Mutt - waiting for Trains to send me a Canon Rebel, can't download to this puter, don't have puter at home - would have to run to either Ed's, Carl's or Muddy's place to download pics....and I can barely send an E-mail normally!
I had to get Tree and Ed to help me several times! It's embarrassing!

Moo[:I]

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Nice hole Dan! The hole looks to be about that size, but as Brother Carl sez - it is on the side panel - the first or sometimes the last side panel on the car. Don't remember why the difference - I was watching the cars go by pretty fast and fascinated by the holes!

On your picture - it would be below the BNSF and in the lower left-hand corner of that first panel.

I would take pictures, but by the time I developed them, we would forget what they were for!

Moo

I haven't heard that since I was last in jail.


Now as far as trains go, this is the closest I could find. But these are on the ends below the ladders. If its in the panel itself, I'd bet it is an inspection port to look at the opening gear if it's a rotary and bottom dump.


http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/gon/cr507716.jpg

Spend a lot of time there, Dan?

OK - everyone go look at Dan's picture. The "hole" was right below the "50" where that little black object is on this picture. And if they are for some kind of inspection or maintaining them, why not on all of them. Why just the FURX?

Mook

[locomutt]

Moo,could always take memory card to local drug store,have them download
to CD's and send everybody one[}:)][:D]

[Mookie]

Will my new Rebel have a memory card? If so, it will be one up on Mook!

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Nice hole Dan! The hole looks to be about that size, but as Brother Carl sez - it is on the side panel - the first or sometimes the last side panel on the car. Don't remember why the difference - I was watching the cars go by pretty fast and fascinated by the holes!

On your picture - it would be below the BNSF and in the lower left-hand corner of that first panel.

I would take pictures, but by the time I developed them, we would forget what they were for!

Moo

I haven't heard that since I was last in jail.


Now as far as trains go, this is the closest I could find. But these are on the ends below the ladders. If its in the panel itself, I'd bet it is an inspection port to look at the opening gear if it's a rotary and bottom dump.


http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/gon/cr507716.jpg

Spend a lot of time there, Dan?

OK - everyone go look at Dan's picture. The "hole" was right below the "50" where that little black object is on this picture. And if they are for some kind of inspection or maintaining them, why not on all of them. Why just the FURX?

Mook

Because cars are built in blocks. FURX orders x number of cars from Johnston and either specifies that an inspection port is put in or because of customer feedback or FRA regs they need to have a better way to inspect or access a piece of gear. Cars in the blocks prior won't have it. Or perhaps the FURX cars have a piece of gear that is new beginning with this series and will follow as standard equipment.

[Anonymous]

Is FURX your own reporting mark Moofie - and is it a substance for getting rid of hairballs?
[:)]

[Mookie]

CATX and FURX are both mine and the CATX has my paw print on it!

Mookie doesn't have fur balls - she is professionally cleaned! [:D]

[locomutt]

Geez,
All this time I thought Mookies reporting marks were KATY[:D]