On the Rochelle web cam 4/7/17 was a BNSF train with a depressed center flat car behind the locos followed by 6-8 boxcars, another depressed flatcar and a yellow caboose. Any ideas?
What did the loads look like? Any placards? What reporting marks on caboose?
The "extra" cars might have been added for braking purposes.
Ed
7j43kThe "extra" cars might have been added for braking purposes.
Or to space loads apart for bridge rating, etc.
The caboose says it was either going to have to be backed a long distance sometime in the journey or the cargo need personell to be with it for some reason.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Besides a Schnabel, what would a depressed center flat car be?
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Mookie Besides a Schnabel, what would a depressed center flat car be?
Overly sad?
A depressed center flat will serve to lower the high part of a high and wide, and likely lower the center of gravity as well.
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...
tree68Overly sad? A depressed center flat will serve to lower the high part of a high and wide, and likely lower the center of gravity as well.
Well, I hadn't thought of sad, but....
So a Schnabel car! Which is exactly what they do. Do they make anything other than a Schnabel that would fit that description?
MookieSo a Schnabel car!
No - this is a depressed center flat (or a model thereof...):
Here's a real one:
This is a Schnabel, without a load.
The big difference is that a depressed center flat is always complete, and the load is placed on top of it. With a Schabel car, the load is part of the structure of the car.
Nice, complete answer, Larry!
OK - I am off to do some google reading.....
Paul_D_North_Jr Nice, complete answer, Larry!
MikeypOn the Rochelle web cam 4/7/17 was a BNSF train with a depressed center flat car behind the locos followed by 6-8 boxcars, another depressed flatcar and a yellow caboose. Any ideas?
Do not be mislead by the depressed center flatcars. They're but subterfuge. The real part of the train consisted of those boxcars. Those were Department of Homeland Security shackle cars. Unfortunately, you didn't get an precise count of the shackle cars. Now we'll never know.
For those of you who aren't paranoid (which doesn't mean they aren't after you), high-wide loads often move with additional cars of parts that go with the high-wide load. I haven't seen the photo, so I don't know if the car is a Schnabel, but Schnabels can shift a load a bit from side to side to clear particular obstacles, and need someone along to work the controls - which might explain the caboose. It's more comfortable than riding on the deck of the Schnabel.
rcdrye For those of you who aren't paranoid (which doesn't mean they aren't after you), high-wide loads often move with additional cars of parts that go with the high-wide load. I haven't seen the photo, so I don't know if the car is a Schnabel, but Schnabels can shift a load a bit from side to side to clear particular obstacles, and need someone along to work the controls - which might explain the caboose. It's more comfortable than riding on the deck of the Schnabel.
Johnny
greyhoundsDo not be mislead by the depressed center flatcars. They're but subterfuge. The real part of the train consisted of those boxcars. Those were Department of Homeland Security shackle cars. Unfortunately, you didn't get an precise count of the shackle cars. Now we'll never know.
In the past, they've always painted the shackle cars white - maybe they're camouflaging them now...
tree68 greyhounds Do not be mislead by the depressed center flatcars. They're but subterfuge. The real part of the train consisted of those boxcars. Those were Department of Homeland Security shackle cars. Unfortunately, you didn't get an precise count of the shackle cars. Now we'll never know. In the past, they've always painted the shackle cars white - maybe they're camouflaging them now...
greyhounds Do not be mislead by the depressed center flatcars. They're but subterfuge. The real part of the train consisted of those boxcars. Those were Department of Homeland Security shackle cars. Unfortunately, you didn't get an precise count of the shackle cars. Now we'll never know.
And tried to disguise them by painting BNSF on the sides.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
I'm sure that was meant tongue-in-cheek, but you'd be surprised-or perhaps not- by the number of people who believe that story. Gotta love good conspiracy theories if for no other reason than watching/listening to those people can be entertaining.
Norm
Yes, several years ago, there was quite a bit about the idea that auto racks were actually prison cars, and there were other far-fetched ideas about this and that which were connected with the operation of railroads. It seems to have died down considerably, but it still amuses me when one or another of our posters throws this out.
Deggesty Yes, several years ago, there was quite a bit about the idea that auto racks were actually prison cars, and there were other far-fetched ideas about this and that which were connected with the operation of railroads. It seems to have died down considerably, but it still amuses me when one or another of our posters throws this out.
The conspiricy theorist that believe they are "FEMA" cars are disulsional and refuse to believe that the autoracks are for transporting autos and are in no way suitable for carrying people even when shown clear photos of the interiors and videos of the cars being loaded/unloaded.
DSchmitt Deggesty Yes, several years ago, there was quite a bit about the idea that auto racks were actually prison cars, and there were other far-fetched ideas about this and that which were connected with the operation of railroads. It seems to have died down considerably, but it still amuses me when one or another of our posters throws this out. The conspiricy theorist that believe they are "FEMA" cars are disulsional and refuse to believe that the autoracks are for transporting autos and are in no way suitable for carrying people even when shown clear photos of the interiors and videos of the cars being loaded/unloaded.
"Suitability" for carrying people is the least of the considerations! And they may as well make good use of the cars for other purposes until they are all used for the "ultimate purposes".
I just never understood the FEMA connection. I would think the CIA or FBI would be the agency to make use of them for hauling subversives and undesireables. I also don't think there are near enough of them to haul all that many mothers-in-law.
Norm48327I'm sure that was meant tongue-in-cheek, but you'd be surprised-or perhaps not- by the number of people who believe that story. Gotta love good conspiracy theories if for no other reason than watching/listening to those people can be entertaining.
Yes, some people will believe about anything. And no fact ever made a dent in a conspiracy theory.
The fertile ground for conspiraty theories is when people are scared of, or confused by, something they don't understand. They'll often look for villains instead of understanding and knowledge.
A railroad case in point would be the formation of Amtrak. People, mail, and express all left the passenger trains. The operation of such trains placed an unbearable burden on the railroad companies. The railroads wanted out.
What to do? Well, instead of dealing with reality a conspiracy theory was somehow created. The conspiracy alleged that the railroads simply found freight to be more lucrative than passengers (surprised?) and had deliberately run off the passengers to make room for the freight. All that was needed was for the Federal Government to take over and rehabilitate the passenger trains. The rehabilitated passenger service would then be self supporting and could be sold to private investors.
Of course, this was nonsense. (This nonsense is why Amtrak maintains the fiction of being a private, non government, company.)
But no facts about passenger service could make a dent in the conspiracy theory that the railroads were the villain in the decline of passenger trains.
Some people just choose to believe what they want to believe. And there is little that can be done about that.
I have long understood that the proliferation of private passenger automobiles and trucks led to the reduced use of passenger trains--"go when you want to go, and go where you want to go." As David P. Morgan set forth in his article "Who Shot the Passenger Train," the railroads endeavored to make rail travel pleasant--but failed to attract enough passengers to make it profitable.
Semper VaporoI just never understood the FEMA connection. I would think the CIA or FBI would be the agency to make use of them for hauling subversives and undesireables. I also don't think there are near enough of them to haul all that many mothers-in-law.
Look up "Rex84" sometime. It's amazing what these people think. Here's the wikipedia entry - do a search and you'll find much, much more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_84
I once found a YouTube video of a fellow looking at a single head searchlight signal and opining that it was somehow connected to satellites and was there to guide the FEMA trains to the FEMA internment camps.
Supposedly, there are two such camps at a military installation near here. I travelled all over that installation and never saw them. But I may not have been looking for the right things. A number of folks were (and may still be) of the opinion that Amtrak's Beech Grove shops were such an internment camp. They were even debating about which way the barbed wire at the top of the chain link fence was pointed...
We had fun with the whole "boxcar with shackles" thing a few years ago, when the whole thing was in it's prime. So, yeah, they'll come up again.
tree68I once found a YouTube video of a fellow looking at a single head searchlight signal and opining that it was somehow connected to satellites and was there to guide the FEMA trains to the FEMA internment camps. Supposedly, there are two such camps at a military installation near here.
The conspiracy theory nutjobs around here thought the local Toys R Us was actually going to be a FEMA camp. Since it was built on a big embankment with a concrete wall.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Schnabel on BNSF -Trainsim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i25pRjPGheg
BNSF News Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYd9i-m7WII
zugmanntree68 I once found a YouTube video of a fellow looking at a single head searchlight signal and opining that it was somehow connected to satellites and was there to guide the FEMA trains to the FEMA internment camps. Supposedly, there are two such camps at a military installation near here. The conspiracy theory nutjobs around here thought the local Toys R Us was actually going to be a FEMA camp. Since it was built on a big embankment with a concrete wall.
I once found a YouTube video of a fellow looking at a single head searchlight signal and opining that it was somehow connected to satellites and was there to guide the FEMA trains to the FEMA internment camps. Supposedly, there are two such camps at a military installation near here.
Somehow, this brings back memories of Arlo Guthrie's "City Of New Orleans". The "Fifty restless riders" implies, in the warped mind of conspiracy theorists, that they must be captive on FEMA cars. Who, other than them would be antsy about the trip and worry about "Changing cars in Memphis"? Restless riders for certain would be worried.
"The steel rails haven't heard the news" that FEMA cars are a work of fiction in the minds of some.
The internet has indeed brought some entertaining and fascinating theories to light. Zug: Please don't take me. I'm happy at home and comfortable living in a world of deception. I'll happily pay the conductor to free me and take Bucky in my place. LOL.
Playing on words here, but it was fun. I will now go crawl back under my rock.
TeeHee - My daughter just shared on FB a link to a book series for children entitled "The Boxcar Children...."
Pure coincidence...
I remember reading an instalment or two of the "Boxcar Children." As I recall, they lived there freely, being able to get on and off the boxcar at will.
tree68 TeeHee - My daughter just shared on FB a link to a book series for children entitled "The Boxcar Children...." Pure coincidence... (Maybe not)
Pure coincidence... (Maybe not)
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