?

[CShaveRR]

SJ, Ed's "finger" cars don't often get used for pipe--they're mostly for things like rebar, and occasionally for bar stock or, as he says, thin pipe.

Simple question: were the cars you saw about 89 feet long (typical of old piggyback flat cars) or about 60-70 feet long? The "finger" cars are shorter; the PTTX pipe cars I mentioned are longer.

Were the "ridges" wooden? The "fingers" on the cars Ed wants you to see are steel, and several feet tall.

[Mookie]

OK - I can't get into a website that Houston Ed sent me - but he wants me to look at some photos of finger rack flat cars. Anyone have such pictures that they can post? This almost sounds like what I was looking at while train watching.

Any pictures will be appreciated.

Mook

[CShaveRR]

No, JTTX and TTJX aren't the same thing. JTTX is sort of a catch-all reporting mark for TTX "standard" flat cars. In fact, a few cars now lettered PTTX were lettered JTTX previously.

Our latest big-pipe moves through here have had everything hauled on long CP flats.

[Junctionfan]

I have seen TTX flats carrying large diameter pipe from IPSCO out in Western Canada to Buffalo Junction. I have also noticed that rebar and steel plating are loaded on it too. I saw this in Brantford, Ontario which was kind of odd to me because the industry usually takes plate steel by the 60 foot flats (MTTX I believe).

Another interesting possibility is steel beams not necessarily the behemoth kinds. I believe I have seen that on a CN train heading from Buffalo to Sarnia. (Note that the train stops at Hamilton and may be dropping of cars for Stelco or Dofasco Steel; also, CN switcher train 555 operates between Aldershot Yard and Hamilton and often picks up cars at the Rail Link Hamilton Yard for other CN trains to take to Mac Millan Yard)

Don't think that helps but thought it might be an interesting addition of information.[:)]

[edblysard]

TTJX?
Finger rack flats...we see them every once in a while with rebar and small dia pipe...

Ed

[corwinda]

When I was in Nevada I saw lots of pipe come through on JTTX 89' flats. Always with an empty auto rack on each end of the train unless they were part of a regular manifest train (which was rare.) Sometimes the auto racks went back with the empty flats.

[CShaveRR]

SJ, I'm betting on pipe, too. If you get a chance to see these TTX cars again, get the precise reporting mark. If it's PTTX, they're pipe cars, for sure!

(Rail is usually transported in MTTX cars that have short bulkheads on the ends.)

BC[:I]

[Mookie]

No - I am so horrible with a camera. And from our vantage point, it would have looked like a long string of just flat cars. Still waiting for my new camera from Bergie, but so far he is ignoring me. I think it is the part where he would have to live here for a month to teach me how to use it.....

[spbed]

Any pix?[:o)][:p][:)]

Originally posted by Mookie
[

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

• Reply