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Coal Dust
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">How much coal is unloaded in rotary dumpers compared to coal unloaded through the bottom hopper doors?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fiberglass covers under development do not appear able to accommodate unloading by rotary dumpers.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you can’t solve the coal dust problem by covering the loads, the other possibility is covering the ballast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One drawback to this approach is that it does not solve the environmental problem, and I expect that will rise to the point of being mandated some time soon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know how much a real problem it is, but there is rising regulatory concern about the production of environmental dust in operations such as farming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So trains leaving a trail of coal dust must be on the radar screen of the regulators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t like coal much anyway.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">But aside from the problem of not solving the environmental problem, covering the ballast presents a considerable engineering challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, considering the economic burden on the railroads imposed by ballast fouling, it seems like solving the problem would justify some rather elaborate approaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Somehow a barrier would need to be added above the ties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This poses problems with the interruptions needed for the tie/rail interface, and also complication for maintenance operations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However some maintenance might be reduced by virtue of the dust barrier, particularly if the barrier would also serve to prevent rain and snow melt from entering the ballast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some type of fabric or sheet seems like an obvious choice for the barrier.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another possibility would be to top the ballast with say a one-inch layer of a finer crushed aggregate, say ½-inch size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then top coat that with a thin layer of rock sand 1-inch or less thick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then spray on a coating of binder asphalt emulsion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The binder would wet the sand and be thick enough to fill the spaces between the particles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ½-inch rock below the sand would permit pouring on the sand without having it run deep into the ballast layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During use, some of this ½-inch rock would settle into the ballast, but there would not be enough to degrade the normal ballast function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">This barrier layer would be interrupted by the ties, and would not be able to seal watertight with them, but it would prevent the majority of coal dust from entering the ballast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or it might cover the ties and come right up to the bottom of the rail, leaving the tops of the tie plates exposed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be helpful to have this emulsion retain some flexibility or the ability to flow and re-seal to adjust to minor shifting of the ties in relation to the ballast, or any development of cracks that might develop. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barrier layer could also be reinforced with a plastic mesh, to help hold it together, but it would be best if that component could be avoided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">I would call this concept <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ballast Roofing</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p>
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