Trains.com

Risk of having empty (relatively lightweight) cars between heavily loaded section of a train

1370 views
6 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,018 posts
Posted by tree68 on Sunday, May 28, 2023 3:44 PM

Movements of high, wide, and really heavy loads are not common, and already have restrictions.  As such, empty buffer cars, etc, are not the problem that a mix of loads and empties in a conventional manifest train are.

 

LarryWhistling
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...

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Sunday, May 28, 2023 12:48 PM

It depends on a lot of things.

Curvature, grade, car and adjacent car geometry, slack condition before emergency, where in train emergency was initiated...

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, May 27, 2023 11:43 AM

When Beth Steel at Sparrow Point was still in operation they would ship out poducts of a length that required a spacer car on either end to accomidate the overhangs.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, May 27, 2023 10:08 AM

When spacer cars are mentioned, the bottle train operated by PRR/PC/CR/NS over the years to the steel mill in Riverdale (also various owners) has always had one or two spacers between each bottle car, which also has 20 or 24 wheels to spread the weight.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Friday, May 26, 2023 4:47 PM

Perry Babin
Why would a train have an unloaded car between two heavily loaded sections?

Doesn't that risk derailment if the train makes an emergency stop? 

I would think that the risk of the light car lifting would prevent them from having it there. What am I missing?

https://youtu.be/BQy1hiVZG5c?t=771

Car is a 65 foot flat car with a empty weight of 65500 pounds.  Actually I am surprised there isn't a spacer car between the locomotives and the load on the depressed center four truck car that is hauling the high wide and HEAVY load.  The car seems to be QTTX 130605 which has a tare weight of 160000 pounds and a load limit of 366000 pounds and a maximum allowed weight on rails of 526000 pounds.

Clearance restrictions for oversized and/or overweight loads will frequently require nominally empty spacer cars - Windmill blades are an example of a long load that requires more the one car for their tranportation.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,018 posts
Posted by tree68 on Friday, May 26, 2023 4:32 PM

Those cars are likely there as spacers, so as to not stress structures (ie, bridges) along the line.

Such movements often have specific requirements that need to be met.

LarryWhistling
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...

  • Member since
    March 2023
  • 168 posts
Risk of having empty (relatively lightweight) cars between heavily loaded section of a train
Posted by Perry Babin on Friday, May 26, 2023 8:46 AM

Why would a train have an unloaded car between two heavily loaded sections?

Doesn't that risk derailment if the train makes an emergency stop? 

I would think that the risk of the light car lifting would prevent them from having it there. What am I missing?

https://youtu.be/BQy1hiVZG5c?t=771

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy