Mad (Multi-) Max, and the expensive carload...

[Murphy Siding]

     The current, November issue of Trains Magazine has a a article about Greenbriar's new Multi-Max auto rack.  In short, it can be adjusted(?) from bi-level to tri-level loading as need to meet demand.  In Bi-level configuration, the article says it can carry 10 SUV's.

      Considering that a top end SUV could probably run in the $50,000 to $60, 000 range, a carload of those could be worth upwards of a half million dollars!  Would these be the most valuable carload shipments commonly shipped by rail in the US?

[rdamon]

My bet is on the 737 fuselages ...maybe not that regularly shipped.

[tree68]

I would opine that what we cannot see - the contents of containers - may rival that, depending, of course, on what the contents are. 

Or not.

[tomikawaTT]

What were the Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo diesels recently shipped to Brazil worth?  Granted they had the trucks(with traction motors) on separate flat cars.  All the really expensive stuff was in the carbody - single flat car load.

For things shipped on a regular basis, my chips would be on a single well with two containers stuffed with high end electronics.  To equal the length of the subject car, multiply by two...

Chuck

[narig01]

In the invisible category I know of a shipper of pharmaceuticals that uses intermodal. Based on experience the shipper fills the container until it reaches 7 figure value. I can also think of a company that ships non prescription pharmaceuticals.
I don't think the Boeing fuselages are an everyday shipment
Forgive me for being non specific, part of the ability of railroads to handle these shipments is there anonymity amonst an ocean of freight.
Rgds IGN

[jeffhergert]

Car loads of farm equipment, tractors and combines, would also be high value loads.  They are usually flagged on the train list as such.  I must admit that farm equipment isn't as common as It used to be.  Once in a while some other special loads might get that tag, and maybe a dimensional warning, too.

Usually the only ones tagged high value are out in the open, like on a flat car.  High value loads get special placement, probably because the loads on a flat car are more accessible than if it were in a container or box car.  Or even in an enclosed auto rack.

Jeff 

 

     

[samfp1943]

Norris( Murphy Siding):

                                             I think I can provide some info on the movements of Aircraft fuselages from Wichita,Ks. to Boeing Co in the Renton, Wa. area.    It is a pretty common sight around here. The moves are BNSF, all the way, between these two points, IIRC.    The fuselages are actually made by Spirit Aviation Systems in Wichita (nee: Boeing CO. Plant) to Their facilities in Washington State.  Back in July of 2013 there were news releases about how they were going to ramp up production of the 737 and its variants. One of which is the Navy's P8A (Poisiden) it is a hybrid of the 737-800, its wings from the 737-900.   See @ http://www.boeing.com/boeing/defense-space/military/p8a/

and this link from The Seattle Times @http://seattletimes.com/html/boeingliveeventcoverage/2018647092_spirit_ceo_wichita_is_ready_to_pump_out_737_fuselages_to_feed_re.html

FTA:"...As Boeing gears up in Renton, preparing to increase 737 production from 35 jets per month now to 38 this fall and 42 in early 2014, Spirit is the key supplier they need to feed their Renton production lines..."

And this article from early 2013 about Boeing, and BNSF adding more cars to carry the 737 fusilages.

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/02/11/bnsf-railway-adding-cars-to-meet.html

FTA: "...Moving Boeing fuselages from Wichita to Renton has been going on for more than 20 years, and BNSF Group Vice President David Garin said increasing volume shouldn’t create any problems.

“We’ve been doing this for such a long time, we feel like we’re part of the assembly line,” he said. “We go to all lengths to make sure we meet their scheduling. We feel very comfortable with our capacity..."

Found this photograph of a " Boeing Train" The enclosed cars are used to carry cockpits for the 747's and several other Boeing aircraft. They open like a clamshell, and protect the partially finished cockpits in transit.   See @ http://people.ucalgary.ca/~keay/plane1.jpg

The cars that carry the 737 fuselages are made up of generally two cars. one has a frame structure on the cockpit end to protect the fusilage in transit and the second car has a compartment on it to carry the tail surface parts to be added in the finishing process in Washington.                                                         See @ http://people.ucalgary.ca/~keay/plane5.jpg

This linked site has some pictures of parts for 757s being shipped in sections.  Not sure if they do this still or there are very early on in the shipping process. I think they now use enclosed cars now.            See @  http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/pop_printer_friendly.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=52668

Here is a link to a MR Forum discussion and has a photo showing a shipment of one 737 fuselage and what both cars look like, in transit.  See @  http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/60940.aspx

Here is a photo of a three fuselage move over Mulan Pass (on MRL(nee: BNSF)  in 2008 ( not my photo!)

See @  http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=247489&nseq=1

[Murphy Siding]

     Sam- Interesting links to the articles and photos.  I didn't even know Boeing still made 737's.

[Murphy Siding]

jeffhergert

Car loads of farm equipment, tractors and combines, would also be high value loads.  They are usually flagged on the train list as such.  I must admit that farm equipment isn't as common as It used to be.  Once in a while some other special loads might get that tag, and maybe a dimensional warning, too.

Usually the only ones tagged high value are out in the open, like on a flat car.  High value loads get special placement, probably because the loads on a flat car are more accessible than if it were in a container or box car.  Or even in an enclosed auto rack.

Jeff 

 

     

     Tell me about the train list.  Is it simply a list of out of the ordinary stuff being hauled?

[BrendenPerkins]

I would think revenue moves of locomotives would be up there, ofte. multiple millions of dollars per unit.

Have we forgotten military trains? How much would a train load of tanks cost?

[greyhounds]

Tobacco products are right up there in the valuable load category.

Think of how many packs of cigarettes will fit in a container/trailer/boxcar  "Big Money, Big Money". Then that container/trailer/boxcar will always find a rainstorm to run through.  Every time.

Then they'll claim water damage.  And everyone who smokes along the way will get free smokes because of the "Water Damage".   What water, what rain?   "Hey look at the load, it got wet somewhere,  We can't sell these."  

Been there, done that.  Just put it in the freight rate and play the game. 

[tree68]

So, while "admitting" to the unseen high value cargo would make said cargo more of a target than it already is (witness the train robberies that have occured where a train is caused to stop in the "middle of nowhere," and by the time the crew gets to where the problem is, the thieves have already cleaned out a container and vanished), it would appear that small fortunes are travelling by rail pretty much everywhere.

And here I am pointing out to people that their next pair of sneakers is in that container they see going by...

[jeffhergert]

tree68

And here I am pointing out to people that their next pair of sneakers is in that container they see going by...

It's getting close to 30 years now, but at least one of the containers that blew of the Kate Shelley bridge contained sneakers.  They said fishermen found sneakers in the river for a few years after.  One of the other containers that went into the drink contained Uzis'.  No one "fished" any of them out of the river in later years, the Government made sure all were accounted for.

Murphy, the train list (aka, wheel report) is the listing of cars in the train.  Ours are listed from the rear end to the front and show: car initial and number, car type, car gross weight, length, maximum car speed, On line (UP in my case) destination station, receiving railroad (if going off line in interchange) destination city and consignee.  It also includes any special handling instructions and for hazmat, all the applicable shipping and emergency response information.  That's the conductor's copy.

The engineer's copy has the so called Xs and Os.  It shows tonnage for each car in horizontal column form, which lets the engineer know where the weight is in the train.  Also accumulated axle count and accumulated length.  The axle count begins from the head end while the length counts from the back.  I've seen train lists from other railroads and are similar.  

The reporting of cars from the back forward is a hold over from when the lists were made (and adjusted) manually by the conductor.  Cars are usually picked up or set out on the head end.  Listing them from the back means additions and/or subtractions will usually be made at the bottom of the list.

Jeff    

[Norm48327]

Murphy Siding

     Sam- Interesting links to the articles and photos.  I didn't even know Boeing still made 737's.

Norris,

737's are selling like pancakes at a community breakfast. At the moment they're Boeing's hottest product. They are 'medium range' planes, and very much in demand.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Wind turbines and their blades - couple $mil' each load. 

Refinery cracking towers, LNG heat exchangers, and other oversize/ overweight chemical-industrial process loads, - maybe 10's of $millions per load.   

Electrical generators and transformers - ditto. 

I heard on the radio tonight that a single modern farm combine/ corn harvester can be in the $500K range.  Large construction machinery is similar. 

Prime beef - 200,000 lbs. @ $10 = $2 Million; fine wine - 200,000 lbs. = 100,000 bottles (8,000 cases) @$20 ($250) each also = $2 Million. 

Some rare or unusual chemicals would be similar. 

I'm sure there are others . . .

- Paul North.   

[chad s thomas]

I'm with Greyhounds, Tobacco products have to be up at the top of the list. think about it. a  12x5x2" pack age at roughly 2 oz. worth 40-50 bucks per. filling a high cube boxcar...... And it's got to be as regular as is gets

[Murphy Siding]

     How many cubic feet is a standard container?

[rdamon]

Of course Tobacco does not get it real value until it has a tax stamp which probably accounts for 40%-75% of the cost.

But it is an easily item to fence none the less.

[narig01]

Re Tobacco products. The shippers of this usually stop loading the trailer or container at 2million dollars worth of product. This value is the usual limit of a carriers responsibility in case of loss on a single bill of lading. Many cargoes go past this amount. But are insured by the shipper.
Not an issue with rail however in ocean shipping a shipper can be held liable for monetary damages if a ship suffers a catastrophe. And (IIRC) it is based on the percentage of the value of the total cargo.
Rgds IGN

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Murphy Siding

 How many cubic feet is a standard container?

Depends on the details of the dimensions.  For example, a standard 8' x 8' x 20' box has 1,280 cu. ft.; a 40 ft. has 2,560 cu. ft.; and a 53 ft. has 3,392 cu. ft.; slightly more for the 8'-6" and 9' high versions, etc.

- Paul North. 

[chad s thomas]

narig01

Re Tobacco products. The shippers of this usually stop loading the trailer or container at 2million dollars worth of product. This value is the usual limit of a carriers responsibility in case of loss on a single bill of lading. Many cargoes go past this amount. But are insured by the shipper.
Not an issue with rail however in ocean shipping a shipper can be held liable for monetary damages if a ship suffers a catastrophe. And (IIRC) it is based on the percentage of the value of the total cargo.
Rgds IGN

Good point, I didn't think about that.

[Overmod]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Murphy Siding

 How many cubic feet is a standard container?

Depends on the details of the dimensions.  For example, a standard 8' x 8' x 20' box has 1,280 cu. ft.; a 40 ft. has 2,560 cu. ft.; and a 53 ft. has 3,392 cu. ft.; slightly more for the 8'-6" and 9' high versions, etc.

- Paul North. 

Not entirely right, I think, and not quite the right use of mathematics...  ;-}

What you are quoting is outside dimensioning, the 'cubage' that shipowners are concerned with, but what is desired is the INTERNAL dimensioning.  There is necessarily structure in the container walls/bulkheads, in the overhead, and in the deck.

As happens, I have the GDV container handbook's 'inch' dimensions for a typical ISO 668 box (as they note, these are not 'exact' numbers, but they come close):

Interior length:  19' 3"

Interior width, 7' 7-3/4"

Interior height: for 8' container, 7' 2-1/2"; for 8'6" height, 7' 9-1'2"

I leave the actual multiplication and simplification of fractions to the reader.  (One of the referenced data plates in the handbook has the interior cubage for its 40' container as 2380 cubic feet)

For those who want to look up all the detail themselves, have at it!

[CNSF]

When I worked at CN, we had a container stolen that was full of brand new toonies (the Canadian two-dollar coin) that we were shipping from the mint. This despite security measures which disguised the true shipper and contents on CN's internal computer records. I can't recall offhand how many millions that ran to; however I believe in this case the mint had arranged for special insurance as the value was well over our normal limit.