Gigantic Freight Car classification turntable?

[TomDiehl]

I didn't see it on the "simulation," is the date on the animation April 1st?

[exPalaceDog]

R.S.T., LLC has developed a methodology for reducing idle railcar time and other inefficiencies inherent to the railroad industry.  Specifically, the Railcar Sequencing Turntable which provides a superior alternative for handling railcars than the technology that currently exists in the Railroad Industry.  This approach (in patent pending status with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) should reduce railcar dwell time and overall shipping time by upwards of 28%. 

The Old Dog would suggest that looking at the various sorting algorithms from a basic computer science course might give better results. Running a RR yard is a good deal like doing a "tape" sort.

Have fun

 

[trainboyH16-44]

A 9000' long train????? 

I think they're marketing to CN  

[Anonymous]

I looked at the animation again.  It is mesmerizing, but I think it needs to slow down and become clearer and more convincing as to how it is superior to conventional yard switching.  They say it uses less space than a conventional yard.  Show me an animation that first clearly sets forth a complex switching objective.  Then move through it with both systems showing the individual moves and their elapsed time consumed.  And show the total area required as the operations of the two systems are compared.

I am not convinced about the role of the trackmobiles.  When they make a diverging move through that center point, I assume they are picking themselves up onto their tires and resetting themselves back onto their flanged wheels.  With all this turntable functionality, I would think the trackmobiles could simply be turned by turning the central hub like a mini turntable for the trackmobiles only. 

However, in the bigger picture, it seems to me that with all the automation that this system implies, the trackmobile motive power is archaic.  The table tracks could be equipped with traveling tractive dogs equipped with couplers that would engage a car's coupler and move the car.  The coupler on the dog could be automatically operated.  With a little more robotics, the dog could run down and pull the pin to make a cut, and then run back to grab the coupler of the lead car.  Being able to pull the pin would also enable the dog to reliably couple to a car with a closed knuckle.  These dogs could also serve to secure the cars during rotation of the turntables. 

Like others have suggested, I would like to see the details of the turntables and the drive system.  Surely these details have been worked out and developed to a practical concept if this is being seriously proposed to the railroad industry. 

[TH&B]

I agree with the last post. Dogs could also be used in a hump yard though.

 

To compare , do an animation of a normal hump yard and cars would smoothly separate and Run into the varius tracks and look very efficient. Ordinary switching is slow because it's regulated to death almost. The turn table idea would only work well if you relaxed some working rules, PLUS the mechanical complexity.

[Semper Vaporo]

What is the energy requirement to move just the 1,018-ft diameter DISK turntables, WITHOUT any rail cars on them?

The animation also fails to demonstrate the stop, secure the cars, uncouple, pull forward, stop, secure the cars, uncouple, pull forward sequence and the time that consumes.  The animation just show the couplers magically separating sideways when the turntables start to move.

 

[Anonymous]

Dear Sir:

Thank you for your response.  The reliability factor for the railcars sequencing turntables system is 100% less any extreme act of God or extreme act of war. 

The railcars sequencing turntables should, upon performance, replace the existing freight classification system.  It's application will be where there is a heavy concentration of multi-modal freight exchange activity.

The following consultants involved with this project are Modjeski & Masters, Gannett Fleming Traction Power Department, Macton Turntables, Star Track Railroad Crossings, Ansaldo Signal Company, Tracks Unlimited, Trackmobile and Genset Locomotive Manufacturers.

 Sincerely,

 Fred H. Wertz

[Anonymous]

  The problem is not the sorting but the time it takes for the Car knockers to reconnect all those brake hoses and change workout break shoes...If the air brakes connections were already in the knuckle coupler like they are on in some light rail applications that would speed things up a lot

[CopCarSS]

The following consultants involved with this project are Modjeski & Masters, Gannett Fleming Traction Power Department, Macton Turntables, Star Track Railroad Crossings, Ansaldo Signal Company, Tracks Unlimited, Trackmobile and Genset Locomotive Manufacturers.

Mr. Wertz,

I've noticed no railroads in your consultant list. Have you had any feedback at all from any of the Class 1's (I'm guessing something as capital intensive as this could only be undertaken by a larger company)?

[Anonymous]

http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-pennsylvania/937756-1.html

paving railroad yards could speed up transfer because--

1. Reduce the time that carknockers have to walk

2. Trucks can pull up anywhere in the yard to load and unload bulk cars...

[Anonymous]

...If the air brakes connections were already in the knuckle coupler like they are on in some light rail applications that would speed things up a lot

I rember when DPM used to lament this shortcoming of the otherwise automatic coupler.  Quite some time ago, I put a ton of thought into solving this problem.  I built a couple prototypes and subsequently did a patent search.  One patent turned out to be very similar to what I had prototyped.  I have not studied the current LRT applications that you mention.  My general conclusion was that the invention could be made practical, but overcoming the financial inertia to convert the entire North American car fleet would be nearly impossible.  Furthermore, the invention would have to be compatible with non-converted cars during the conversion.

A feature of my invention was to include a second train line and a corresponding second set of ports in the air coupling device.  This second train line would be connected to small a pneumatic cylinder on each car that would operate the bleeder valve.  So a cut of cars would not need to be walked and manually bled prior to switching.  You would just cut in air to the bleeder line and all the cars would bleed automatically.