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Transporting steel coil

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  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Transporting steel coil
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, September 9, 2018 8:41 PM

Besides the covered coil cars, in the same train, that I couldn't capture in the same screen shot from Virtural Railfan, 3 more ways to transport coil

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, September 9, 2018 9:17 PM

I gotta say Henry, that the well car looking thing is a first for me.  I watch a lot of NS and CSX.

Mike.

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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, September 9, 2018 10:27 PM

Lots of good photos of some of the ex-Pennsy G-41, 42, 52s, etc. here:

http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/FreightCars/CoilCars

The cradles look neat, too. I made some out of wood timbers:

 IMG_8587 by Edmund, on Flickr

I couldn't find any consice evidence of it but it was thought that P-C used ore Jennies to haul coiled steel when they were available and dedicated coil cars or gons were not.

Cheers! Ed

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  • From: Potomac Yard
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Posted by NittanyLion on Sunday, September 9, 2018 10:31 PM

mbinsewi

I gotta say Henry, that the well car looking thing is a first for me.  I watch a lot of NS and CSX.

Mike.

 

Looks like a Conrail Coilshield without the hood.  I've never actually seen one moving without the shield.  NS Protectors are similiar.

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 13, 2018 2:25 AM

gmpullman

Lots of good photos of some of the ex-Pennsy G-41, 42, 52s, etc. here:

http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/FreightCars/CoilCars

The cradles look neat, too. I made some out of wood timbers:

 IMG_8587 by Edmund, on Flickr

I couldn't find any consice evidence of it but it was thought that P-C used ore Jennies to haul coiled steel when they were available and dedicated coil cars or gons were not.

Cheers! Ed

 

 

I remember Conrail also made some special coil cradles for use on flatcars. They had them painted and had logos on them too. Haven't seen any models of them but I'm pretty sure you could make `em out of styrene pieces. Although good luck getting small enough decals for the logos.

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, September 13, 2018 6:27 AM

I toured the Harley plant in York a few years ago and they get their steel in coils, for the fenders, tank and other body work.  I don't recall seeing any rusty coils. 

Yet if they are going to transport them in the open, rust is going to happen, unless they are sprayed with some sort of preventative.

The covered coil cars are a little late for my era, but I do have one.   I could convert a gon, like Ed.  Not to be critical in any way, but should they be that heavily weathered?

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    May 2004
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Posted by 7j43k on Thursday, September 13, 2018 9:49 AM

The background in the photo has the feel of southern California.  Which tends to be un-rainy in the summer.  Perhaps there is no reason to use covers in this case.

 

Ed

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    February 2005
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Posted by davidmurray on Thursday, September 13, 2018 10:06 AM

BigDaddy
toured the Harley plant in York a few years ago and they get their steel in coils, for the fenders, tank and other body work. I don't recall seeing any rusty coils. Yet if they are going to transport them in the open, rust is going to happen, unless they are sprayed with some sort of preventative.

I worked in a GM stamping plant.  Rusty material was cut off the end of the coil before stamping any parts.  Edge rust did not matter as the outer 3/4 inch was trimmed off as part of the process, but was necessary for clamping during the drawing part of a stamp.

It would probably cost more to have the coil wrapped, and a non liquid rust preventer would be as bad as rust.

Dave

 

David Murray from Oshawa, Ontario Canada
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, September 13, 2018 3:42 PM

dirtyd79
I remember Conrail also made some special coil cradles for use on flatcars. They had them painted and had logos on them too.

There's some photos of them in the link that I replied with earlier, This link should take you to a few more:

http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/node/20996

dirtyd79
Although good luck getting small enough decals for the logos.

That would take some creativity. Actually, if you look dead-center on this Microscale sheet, there's a pretty small can-opener! 

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MD&Product_Code=60-742&Category_Code=CR

This is the N scale set so for HO that decal would probably work.

Thanks, Ed

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Posted by dti406 on Friday, September 14, 2018 8:11 AM

There are two kinds of coiled steel, hot rolled and cold rolled.

Hot rolled coils are usually not covered, as their uses are not precise. Hot rolled products like hot rolled steel bars are used in the welding and construction trades to make railroad tracks and I-beams, for example. Hot rolled steel is used in situations where precise shapes and tolerances are not required.

Cold rolled coils are ususally covered to keep them out of the elements, Cold rolled steel is essentially hot rolled steel that has had further processing. The steel is processed further in cold reduction mills, where the material is cooled (at room temperature) followed by annealing and/or tempers rolling. This process will produce steel with closer dimensional tolerances and a wider range of surface finishes. The term Cold Rolled is mistakenly used on all products, when actually the product name refers to the rolling of flat rolled sheet and coil products.

The NYC came up with a specialized car for hauling hot rolled steel as it was still hot when loaded in the car, hot enough that the coils burned the paint off the cars.

Coiled steel for making cans were hauled in boxcars to further protect them until they could be made in cans.

Rick Jesionowski

Rule 1: This is my railroad.

Rule 2: I make the rules.

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