So I found out via reading the press that the two existing Artillery Shell plants in Wilks Bare and Scranton get their steel exclusively by rail. Texas has a large plant as well and I heard they might startup production there, I believe it is served by UP.
It's been mentioned on RyPN a couple of times that the plant in Scranton is immediately adjacent to Steamtown, and in fact I think it is in an ex-DL&W shop building.
Overmod It's been mentioned on RyPN a couple of times that the plant in Scranton is immediately adjacent to Steamtown, and in fact I think it is in an ex-DL&W shop building.
OvermodIt's been mentioned on RyPN a couple of times that the plant in Scranton is immediately adjacent to Steamtown, and in fact I think it is in an ex-DL&W shop building.
It looks to me like it will be a fairly moderate increase in steel shipments to those locations, though I do not know from where or what steel plant. They showed a clip on TV some of the cylinder type steel ingots that go into making the shells and they looked fairly large. Not sure how many would ship on a railcar but they stated the steel is exclusively delivered by rail. I wonder how much the ingots weigh each and if rail also carries away any waste products.
Inert 155mm shells aren't all that heavy (100 lbs max), so I don't think that the chunk of metal that's the starting point for making an individual shell would be all that large.
Erik_MagInert 155mm shells aren't all that heavy (100 lbs max), so I don't think that the chunk of metal that's the starting point for making an individual shell would be all that large.
20 foot lengths of steel that are 2,000 lbs each is the starting point for the Scranton plant. They cut them into pieces from that. They are shipped in via RailGon Gondolas from what I could see in the videos.
CMStPnP 20 foot lengths of steel that are 2,000 lbs each is the starting point for the Scranton plant.
20 foot lengths of steel that are 2,000 lbs each is the starting point for the Scranton plant.
Makes sense, the pieces cut from the 20 foot chunk of steel are what I meant as a starting point for an individual shell. Have little idea of what happens between the pice cut and finished inert shell (forging?), but can tell the tolerances seem to be pretty tight.
I did see an interesting presentation on the process control for the seamless tubing used to make ring gears for differentials.
Please keep the thread on the topic of rail service to these plants. Discussion of military policies and war is off topic.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Steven OttePlease keep the thread on the topic of rail service to these plants. Discussion of military policies and war is off topic.
Why are you injecting those topics into a thread that has not mentioned them?
Rail customers get raw materials and manufacture products.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD Steven Otte Please keep the thread on the topic of rail service to these plants. Discussion of military policies and war is off topic. Why are you injecting those topics into a thread that has not mentioned them?
Steven Otte Please keep the thread on the topic of rail service to these plants. Discussion of military policies and war is off topic.
BaltACDWhy are you injecting those topics into a thread that has not mentioned them?
OK, in the moderators defense. Politics was mentioned off on a tangent, Steve did the nice thing and moved the post offline out of the thread. I know it seems like otherwise with the post now missing but I saw the post yesterday and suspected that would happen and NO the post was not from me.
Now as for the Rail Gon Gondolas.........isn't it better for the host railroad to use their own Gondolas vs RailGon. Don't they make more money if their gondolas are used?
RailGon gondolas probably are used if the shipper wishes to use his own cars (albeit leased) to get a better rate from the railroad.
CMStPnPNow as for the Rail Gon Gondolas.........isn't it better for the host railroad to use their own Gondolas vs RailGon. Don't they make more money if their gondolas are used?
There are fewer and fewer railroad owned assets in general circulation any more. What you do see is usually in some sort of dedicated service. Thus for the every-now-and-then service the ammo plant probably gets, RailGon likely makes sense.
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...
CMStPnP... Now as for the Rail Gon Gondolas.........isn't it better for the host railroad to use their own Gondolas vs RailGon. Don't they make more money if their gondolas are used?
Rail Gons are owned by Trailer Train which is owned by the Class 1 carriers. Rail Gons and Rail Box cars are used by the Class 1's company owned cars. Trailer Train does issue directives for distribution of the cars they own when they feel it is necessary.
I don't post a warning like I did above unless I have had to take administrative action. Posts that violate Forum policies like the prohibition against politics are deleted. This may confuse readers as to what the warning refers to, but since I can't issue explanations for a post deletion via PM any more, a posted warning is necessary to tell people not to continue or resume such discursions.
Steven Otte BaltACD Steven Otte Please keep the thread on the topic of rail service to these plants. Discussion of military policies and war is off topic. Why are you injecting those topics into a thread that has not mentioned them? I don't post a warning like I did above unless I have had to take administrative action. Posts that violate Forum policies like the prohibition against politics are deleted. This may confuse readers as to what the warning refers to, but since I can't issue explanations for a post deletion via PM any more, a posted warning is necessary to tell people not to continue or resume such discursions.
Which now raises an even bigger question - Why can't PM's be FIXED and work as they are intended to work? Why doesn't this entire application work as it is intended to work?
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