Doublestack TTX cars stored on State of NM track

[diningcar]

Returning from CO along I-25 I saw several (maybe 100 or more) TTX well-type doublestack cars at sidings Schaumberg, York Canyon Spur and Levy, and perhaps there were others that could not be seen from the road. Since BNSF does not operate along this line subsequent to Jan. 01-2008 I wondered two things: 1. are these no longer suitable or needed for their designed purpose; and 2. if they are to be removed for service or to be salvaged who will provide the train to pick them up.

Any current info, or speculation (this should elicit a response or two) would be appreciated.

[cnwfan51]

More then likely they are being stored because business is down and they are not needed for now  Hopefully when the traffic picks up then they will go back to work   Larry

[Railway Man]

Returning from CO along I-25 I saw several (maybe 100 or more) TTX well-type doublestack cars at sidings Schaumberg, York Canyon Spur and Levy, and perhaps there were others that could not be seen from the road. Since BNSF does not operate along this line subsequent to Jan. 01-2008 I wondered two things: 1. are these no longer suitable or needed for their designed purpose; and 2. if they are to be removed for service or to be salvaged who will provide the train to pick them up.

Any current info, or speculation (this should elicit a response or two) would be appreciated.

BNSF does not operate regular service on the line but has trackage rights and continues to use the line for detour and overflow trains (as recently as a few weeks ago if memory is correct), and also for car storage, it would appear.

Some types of well cars are in low demand due to their type as well as general stagnation in container traffic growth for the last year.  The least desirable type of well car right now is the car capable of accepting a 45' or 48' container in the bottom well, which is more than is needed for the preponderance of international containers (which almost all 40' and 20') and not enough for the preponderance of domestic containers (which are mostly 53').  When or if there is demand for the cars, BNSF will come get them.  If there is no demand for the cars, ever, then some day they will be hauled to a scrapyard.  Since the lifetime of a car is 40 years (50 with rebuild), the scrap value is very low, the cars deteriorate very slowly, and the potential income value is very high should demand for that car type improve, it is not unusual for surplus cars to be stored for 10-20 years or more.

RWM

[TimChgo9]

If they were to stand in storage in for 10-20 years, wouldn't the cars need to be rehabbed to some extent?  Or, would they get moved around a bit to prevent the axles from rusting and becoming immovable... Or am I way off base?

[gabe]

Returning from CO along I-25 I saw several (maybe 100 or more) TTX well-type doublestack cars at sidings Schaumberg, York Canyon Spur and Levy, and perhaps there were others that could not be seen from the road. Since BNSF does not operate along this line subsequent to Jan. 01-2008 I wondered two things: 1. are these no longer suitable or needed for their designed purpose; and 2. if they are to be removed for service or to be salvaged who will provide the train to pick them up.

Any current info, or speculation (this should elicit a response or two) would be appreciated.

BNSF does not operate regular service on the line but has trackage rights and continues to use the line for detour and overflow trains (as recently as a few weeks ago if memory is correct), and also for car storage, it would appear.

Some types of well cars are in low demand due to their type as well as general stagnation in container traffic growth for the last year.  The least desirable type of well car right now is the car capable of accepting a 45' or 48' container in the bottom well, which is more than is needed for the preponderance of international containers (which almost all 40' and 20') and not enough for the preponderance of domestic containers (which are mostly 53').  When or if there is demand for the cars, BNSF will come get them.  If there is no demand for the cars, ever, then some day they will be hauled to a scrapyard.  Since the lifetime of a car is 40 years (50 with rebuild), the scrap value is very low, the cars deteriorate very slowly, and the potential income value is very high should demand for that car type improve, it is not unusual for surplus cars to be stored for 10-20 years or more.

RWM

Do these cars--stored 10-20 years--have to have maintenance done to them if and when they are returned to service?  I would think things like air hoses and break shoes would tend to degrade after such a time period?

Gabe

[gabe]

If they were to stand in storage in for 10-20 years, wouldn't the cars need to be rehabbed to some extent?  Or, would they get moved around a bit to prevent the axles from rusting and becoming immovable... Or am I way off base?

Thanks Tim, ignorance (AKA, me) loves company.

Gabe

[Railway Man]

If they were to stand in storage in for 10-20 years, wouldn't the cars need to be rehabbed to some extent?  Or, would they get moved around a bit to prevent the axles from rusting and becoming immovable... Or am I way off base?

I'm not a car knocker so I am speaking only in general terms.

If you're going to store cars for long periods of time, there are much worse climates than the high plains of New Mexico, such as any place next to the ocean.

After a long period of storage the bearings and air-brake equipment may all need to be replaced/rebuilt.  Anything that's rubber will need to be replaced and the old rubber thrown out.  Typically the bearings and air-brake equipment are just swapped out, then sent to speciality shops where they are inspected, recertified if they meet specifications, and rebuilt or scrapped as appropriate, then put back in the car owner's inventory.  AAR rules detail the requirements; maybe Carl can look them up for us. 

RWM 

[beaulieu]

BNSF had a large number of DTTX 48' well cars stored in Northern Minnesota for several years on an out of service BNSF track. Recently they were all pulled out and sent in several baretable trains to Calpro in the LA area (Calpro is a TTX subsidiary), where they will be cut down into 40' wells, and then returned to service. That is likely to be the fate of the cars stored in Texas too. However the exact design of the car may make a difference in when and if they are cut down. I am sure that all the cars being done right now are the same design so that the exact same modification is done on each. Different designs probably will require slight changes, and you don't want to slow things down or make a mistake. The detail designs changed by builder and time built.

[carknocker1]

I was just in a BNSF production meeting last week and there are a lot of stored cars right now everywhere . Some of it has to do with the coming of the Chinese New Years , but there has been a down turn in the container buisness. Many of the 53 foot cars are being cut down , also both BNSF and TTX are rehabbing cars . As far as cars being stored for extended periods of time , generally cars stored more than a few years the cars will be scrapped , otherwise these cars become a loss of capital .

Any time cars are stored they will be inspected before going back into service many will need to have single car airbrake test and the gaskets and hoses replaced , plus many of these cars get robbed of the steel that can be easily removed by scavengers .

 

[csmith9474]

We went to Texas last October, and I saw those cars and asked myself the same thing. There are definately a lot of cars just sittin' down there. Thanks for clearing that up.

[bnsfkline]

Reminds me of the 170+ Former Amtrak Express Boxes in Fenton......

[CShaveRR]

Carl doesn't do much with car regulations; maybe Houston Ed has some particulars (he doesn't use them at work either--much--but seems to be a lot better at finding them).

[Murphy Siding]

BNSF had a large number of DTTX 48' well cars stored in Northern Minnesota for several years on an out of service BNSF track. .

I saw a lot of those cars last summer, southwest of Hinckley.  I thought it odd, that they were hid away in a forest somewhere.  It seems stored cars could pick up a lot of graffitti?

[METRO]

Around here in WI there are huge numbers of covered hoppers kept in storage for the grain rush every year.   Lately, I've also seen a lot of centerbeams on storage tracks, thanks in no small part to the housing crash.

So question, do railroads ever misplace stored cars?  I remember that there were these old NYC covered hoppers on a spur in the town my grandfather retired to and one day Conrail just took out the switch to the spur, leaving the cars about a mile down the track with no way to connect back to the railroad.

Thanks!

~METRO 

[BNSF2828]

I have seen alot of stored cars lately on the UP on there south bank of the columbia river gorge driveing to portland. A string of TTX railroad box cars that ben there for 3 years.

[cacole]

 Last week I saw two Union Pacific eastbound trains on the Sunset Route through SE Arizona with long strings of empty well cars on the end.

Normally the empty well cars are heading west to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, not east.  Maybe they were heading for storage somewhere in Texas or New Mexico.

 

[stevosrfs]

on a spur that used to be part of the sp main from los fresnos texas to harlingen texas a spur to the riogrande valley sugar mill is what is in existence now i would say conservatively that there are about 5 to 6 miles of covered hoppers stored on this line . my guess is that they were in service hauling corn to the port of brownsville from points in the midwest and are now idled . don't get me started about politics right now .

[caldreamer]

 We had a string over a mile long of 50 foot RBOX cars sitting on the siding  just east of Gettysburg for about two and a half  years.  They finally moved them last fall.  Do not know where they went or what happend to them.

[blue streak 1]

Murphy Siding

I saw a lot of those cars last summer, southwest of Hinckley.  I thought it odd, that they were hid away in a forest somewhere.  It seems stored cars could pick up a lot of graffitti?

You are not talking about southern graffitti are you?  We call it Kudzu. Several strings stored around here since mid july are covered!

[Victrola1]

Take old US 34 west of Burlington (IA). Look at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant to the south. With no major war, the miles of track in the facility play host to stored cars, mostly grain hoppers. Leasing space probably puts money in the treasury.

Do not try getting too close of a look. Security on a military installation frowns on unauthorized vistors, especially with cameras.  Graffiti and scavengers should be less of a storage hazard.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

Due to following there wil be a lot more container cars stored, business with China is down nearly 49% due to economic downturn.

Moth balled Container ship fleet is at 392 vessels representing and including 1.1 million TEUs.
Ocean carriers also are storing empty containers on these vessels to avoid storage fees on land.