Seeing the AutoMax cars go by in relatively close proximity is like standing next to a moving wall...
They come through Utica, NY, daily, giving one the opportunity to stand on the platform there and watch - close enough to be awed, and far enough away to be safe...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
The Auto-Max cars were made to have more height in order to carry 22 SUV autos. Previously, SUV autos could only be accommodated in bilevel autoracks which typically held only 10. As can be seen in the BNSF design below, the intermediate truck is somewhat different and has brakes, and results in one less truck for maintenance, (for conveying a similar amount of SUV autos). The end trucks are located closer to the coupler which saves some weight. In this BNSF design the wheels are 33 inches diameter which will last longer than 28 inch which I've seen in regular trilevels. You also have one less car to sort in the yard, which saves time. The Auto-Max was made to last 50 years, while the bilevel and trilevel autoracks last only 20 years, although the flatcar on which the racks were built could be used again about twice. I don't know if BNSF is able to move the Auto-Max faster than regular bilevels/trilevels, but Amtrak limits their regular bilevels to 70 mph.
http://m.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/ways-of-shipping/equipment/pdf/AutoMax-Specs.pdf
Since the first Auto-Max, we now have Auto-Max II which allows you to change deck heights as needed, and some other improvements. I'm not sure if consideration of longer Auto-Max's with two or three intermediate trucks will happen, since there would be a loss in length of the intermediate cars. However, Greenbriar will probably make whatever you desire.
https://www.gbrx.com/media/1745/auto-max-ii-tb-nov-2016-v2.pdf
The Automax cars hold more autos then two separate racks. Also have adjustable floors so they can be used as 2 levels for trucks or configured to 3 levels for autos. Older racks are built as 2 level or 3 level depending on the service intended and are not adjustable.
ATSFGuy I see BNSF Autorack trains heading south through San Clemente at night and during the day on Saturdays periodically heading to San Diego. Can anyone provide infromation on this or is it just one of BNSF's "nightly runs?"
I see BNSF Autorack trains heading south through San Clemente at night and during the day on Saturdays periodically heading to San Diego.
Can anyone provide infromation on this or is it just one of BNSF's "nightly runs?"
Toyota uses a BNSF loading facility in SD which ships a great many Mexican-built Tacoma p/u's. VW/Audi also loads from ships to racks about a mile south of that BNSF yard.
ATSFGuyI see BNSF Autorack trains heading south through San Clemente at night and during the day on Saturdays periodically heading to San Diego. Can anyone provide infromation on this or is it just of of BNSF's "nightly runs?"
Can anyone provide infromation on this or is it just of of BNSF's "nightly runs?"
Each carriers loaded auto rack trains serve the carrier's network of automotive distribution center where the vehicles off loaded from the rail cars and put on over the road trucks to deliver the vehicles to dealers.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
DSchmitt The "FEMA" cars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shx4Bx9T70o
The "FEMA" cars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shx4Bx9T70o
Great video. Answered all of my questions. Did not see any aliens or bad hombres in shackles, but I'll keep looking.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
The roofless trilevels, CTTX, were used to put vans on the top deck. As I recall they were used primarily by Chrysler. This was a time when the Chrysler mini van was a big seller and the backbone of Chrysler.
ATSFGuy Does anyone know when auto racks were closed up to prevent vandalism?
Does anyone know when auto racks were closed up to prevent vandalism?
Side panels were fitted to some autoracks in the early 1970's to protect the autos from thieves and vandals, however but were not much better than the open racks. The prototype fully enclosed racks, side panels, end doors and roofs were built in 1973 and production started in 1974 with deliveries in late 74/early 75. Because of low clearances at some locations enclosed roofless racks and unenclosed racks continued in service at least to the mid 80's.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
RME Deggesty If these cars are used to carry people, why do they not have full-width diaphragms? People in shackles are not going to be responding to chimes to go to the dining car, or heading to the lounge for happy hour.
Deggesty If these cars are used to carry people, why do they not have full-width diaphragms?
People in shackles are not going to be responding to chimes to go to the dining car, or heading to the lounge for happy hour.
Johnny
Not making this up...
https://www.google.com/search?q=FEMA+Shackle+Cars&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=FEMA+Shackle+Cars&start=0
Not sure what people think anybody would do with 102,000 of the things? What fraction is that of the total North American car fleet?
Incidentally, Amtrak Beech Grove has attempted infiltation issues with both camera toting railfans and camera toting theorists convinced it is a FEMA death camp... I wonder if these people are the same as the 'chemtrails' people or not?
DeggestyIf these cars are used to carry people, why do they not have full-width diaphragms?
NorthWest If you're a conspiracy theorist, those are the FEMA shackle cars for covert movement of political prisoners... ...regardless of the fact that you can see cars in them...
If you're a conspiracy theorist, those are the FEMA shackle cars for covert movement of political prisoners...
...regardless of the fact that you can see cars in them...
Come to think of it I did see one or two nefarious characters peering out of one or two of the openings. Or maybe there were three or four of them. Tune in tomorrow. I'll bet I can get it up to five or six. And by the end of July my imagination could work it up to a whole army of aliens.
BaltACD Those are Auto Max articulated cars.
Those are Auto Max articulated cars.
Paul of CovingtonAbout a year or two ago there was a discussion about why intermodal stack cars were articulated in odd numbers, (1, 3, 5), and the answer was that standard brake rigging was set up to handle pairs of trucks, making it desirable to have even numbers of trucks. How are the brakes rigged in the paired autoracks?
Start by looking at Dick Dawson's post (and some of the others) in the thread I think you're referring to, which explain some of the relevant reasons, both engineering and economic.
Here is a PDF from Wabtec that covers some of the brake-rigging arrangements circa 2004.
BaltACDIf drawhead design permits 'excessive' angularity when being compressed - bad things can and do happen.
Let me add a little to this 'in context' -- even if the drawhead design is good, if you have those long TrailerTrain style pig flats, with the trucks well inboard of the ends, the coupler 'buff faces' (largely the outer part of the knuckles, a few inches from the pulling faces) will be far outboard of the centerline of the track. When actual buff force is applied, this produces a significant component of lateral force which will ultimately try to force the 'outside' flanges on the adjacent truck harder against the side of the railhead, and may ultimately contribute to flange wear, flange climb, and other very real contributors to derailment.
Balt knew all this, of course; he just didn't say it explicitly.
One further point about drawhead angularity: permitted coupler swing is necessarily greater on those long flats in order to allow the coupler to be moved to where it will couple to an adjacent car on a curve in the first place. If there is no good centering alignment arrangement in buff, the lateral buff force I mentioned will continue to push the coupler head laterally to a further angle, in part determined by the play between the coupled pulling faces when the couplers are in buff, before all the swing is taken up and the buff force is exerted laterally on the car center sill or other structure.
About a year or two ago there was a discussion about why intermodal stack cars were articulated in odd numbers, (1, 3, 5), and the answer was that standard brake rigging was set up to handle pairs of trucks, making it desirable to have even numbers of trucks. How are the brakes rigged in the paired autoracks?
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Automax are unique in that they are integral and not racks on flat cars.
Here a follow-on auto rack question?
I saw an auto rack train on the BNSF that had some auto racks that were nearly fully enclosed and appeared to have three levels. Two of the units are permanently coupled together, I presume, because they share a truck in the middle.
The cars were marked BNSF, OAK, and Kansas City Southern. Are these a new type of auto rack or have they been around for some time?
This train did not have a box car between the lead locomotive, and there were no locomotives at the rear of the train. The auto racks appeared to be empty.
JPS1I'll bite. What is coupler angle issues in buff?
Buff forces are where the slack within the couplings has been compressed. If drawhead design permits 'excessive' angularity when being compressed - bad things can and do happen. A rear end helper is attempting to shove the slack into the train as the head end power is attempting to pull the slack out of the train.
The pulling force is known as draft, the pushing force is known as buff.
I'll bite. What is coupler angle issues in buff?
BaltACD JPS1 BOB WITHORN Is it possible that the auto racks were empty and if the boxcars were full they could serve as extra brakes? Yes, the auto racks appeared to be empty. Auto racks have proper braking power - loaded or empty. Back in the day of the open multi-level auto carriers, the B&O ran a hopper car with a high, ice breaking appratus at the head end of trains that handled automobiles.
JPS1 BOB WITHORN Is it possible that the auto racks were empty and if the boxcars were full they could serve as extra brakes? Yes, the auto racks appeared to be empty.
BOB WITHORN Is it possible that the auto racks were empty and if the boxcars were full they could serve as extra brakes?
Yes, the auto racks appeared to be empty.
Auto racks have proper braking power - loaded or empty.
Back in the day of the open multi-level auto carriers, the B&O ran a hopper car with a high, ice breaking appratus at the head end of trains that handled automobiles.
back in the day PRR/Conrail always had a 50' box or reefer between auto racks or Pig Flats and the caboose if being pushed out of Altoona. This was done to help with coupler angle issues in buff.
BOB WITHORNIs it possible that the auto racks were empty and if the boxcars were full they could serve as extra brakes?
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