I had to drive out to Mankato last W/E and saw a CP(DM&E) unit ethanol train being put together at the big ethanol plant in Janesville, MN. I noticed that they were using old Airslice hoppers as the buffer cars. I did not get a chance to stop and get a picture. Anyone know what the reporting marks are on these cars, or maybe a picture?
I also saw a UP unit ethanol train south of Mankato - with buffer cars on both ends of the train. Maybe they were going to use DPU locomotives on the rear of the train?
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
The ones I have seen are in the BNSF 808000 series.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
Jim,
I've been seeing them pop up at railcarphotos.com more and more. Here's one small group with BNSF marks:
http://railcarphotos.com/Search.php?SearchReportingMark=BNSF&SearchType=Covered%20Hopper%20-%20Airslide&SearchCarNotes=buffer&Search=Search
I tried the same search with BN and got nothing useful.
No joy on CP or DME, either, but you might try some other Searches, The only ones I recall seeing are the BNSF ones. Not sure about any use by other lines, but IIRC, the buffers do go offline with the train so could show up about anywhere.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I Saw an Ethonal train with two buffer cars just this sunday and it didn't have a DPU (Both were airslides, one plain jane gray and the other was a powder blue GACX car) . Also buffer cars don't have to be airlsides, any hopper will do. I think I read somewhere buffer hoppers are actually filled with access or bad corn from the plant, but don't quote me on that.
David,
I have seen some of those GACX cars(in various paint schemes) in 'buffer' service as well. They seem to have been displaced by PD type covered hoppers and are filling out their 50 year life in buffer car service. The BNSF one are loaded with about 45 tons of rock(from what I have told) so that they track good at the head end of a train. All of the others I have seen have GACX reporting marks.
In previous years, DM&E was using old covered hoppers or box cars for buffers. The problem was that the buffer car would get lost off-line. DM&E then removed the buffer and it went home with the locomotives when interchanged. That caused the problem that the unit ethanol train would just sit for days in Chicago waiting for a buffer car to be scrounged up by the eastern carrier. Dedicated buffer cars then became the norm and are so marked.
Da Buffer cars are put there to make da rail buffs foam.
They are required to be between the locomotive and the tank cars. They are usually filled with sand. They can be hopper cars or box cars. They are usually at both ends of the train, though they might not be on the tail end. They leave them there so that helper locomotives or DistPower can be added as the train progresses.
NOW THEN IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE LION SUGGESTS...
Him suggests unit oil trains, perhaps two units of 50 cars each. Use transit type couplers between these cars with air and electtric portions connecting trhoughtout the stick (grtoup of 50 cars). Digital report back includes lading temperature and pressure, condition of wheels and running gear, and facilitates braking. The ends of each stick includeds a buffer car containing sand and foam buff materials, and the electronics packages that consolidates and reports information form the string of cars. If the train comes to a stop, parking brakes (trolley-type track brakes) are applied throught the consist ensuring a positive applicaton on all of the cars. In therory they may be accomodation for a load conductor in this car (Probably in the last car) to supervise the load enroute.
Anyway, that is the IDEA of the LION, and we could sertainly build such high spec cars more quickly than GATX or BNSF could. Of course the telemetry package need not be hard wired etc, it can all be remote data transmission, and power could come from batteries and on board generators. But my idea is my idea, so go fish.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
The only problem with a good, logical idea is that it reduces emotional political arguments to mere dust in the wind. Once that happens, them no one can achieve the satisfaction of compelling someone else to spend big bucks without accomplishing anything at all. Now if the wise bean counters at the helm of the 1:1 equipment would do something like this voluntarily...hmmm...if I recall one of the reasons for cupolas on cabooses was to allow someone to watch for hot boxes on brakes. Automating car , load, and wheel info should be a natural for today's techies!
Don H.
glutrainThe only problem with a good, logical idea is that it reduces emotional political arguments to mere dust in the wind.
The big issue with the 1:1 is scale, not that the 1:87 can do it any better. NMRA (or the FRA) can make its recommendations, but applying that to a fleet of millions of cars is another matter. This is where new unit trains have an advantage, but they must still be capable of running in consist with any power or equipment.
LIRR used unique fittings on their diesel fleet of pax cars, they can only run with their locomotives and no others. Makes for problems, espcially since there were problems with the locomotives that they bought to run with it.
Interchangibility is a hallmark of US railroading, thus it is very difficult to propose changes. It is also why first changes will have to appear on specialized equipments.
The DOT 111 tank cars are on point. Better tank cars are needed, but it takes years to design and approve, build and buy these cars, which BTW, were needed two years ago. BNSF is going out on a limb and ordering 5000 new cars without such federal testing and delays. Maybe they will set the standard (Think VHS) or maybe they will be left holding the sack (think Beta). But BNSF has the business, needs the cars now, and has the money to put into the project, and truth be told, that *is* the way things are *supposed* to work.
Another thing to consider with the placement of a crew member to supervise the train at the rear, is that the train handling rules have changed too since the caboose was eliminated. I can only speak for my employer, but we cannot power brake anymore and it is not taught anymore either, and that slack from the rear end is going to run in after it tops a hill, throwing around anyone who is riding the equipment back there.
Transit type couplers do not have any slack or buff movement. IF you were to build special equipent for special operations you might use this as an option, especially if you want to have data and other services trainlined through the coupler.