Official Railroad Thread. Everything You Wanted to Know About Railroads and Railroading - Page 4

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Official Railroad Thread. Everything You Wanted to Know About Railroads and Railroading (Page 4 of 60)

Posted: 4/23/2013 1:33:10 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I always wondered if there was some kind of locomotive salvage yard somewhere where old locomotives went.

It wouldn't surprise me if leasing companies like National Rail Equipment (NREX) and First Union Rail (FURX) have locomotive boneyards from which they pick parts to keep their fleets going and recycle other parts for resale.

Metro East Industry (MEI)
Larry's Truck and Electric (LTEX)
Motive Power (MP
Motive Power Industries (MPI)
RailServe
Progress Rail

There are maybe another 30 smaller locomotive boneyard companies throughout.

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:06:18 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:36:19 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

so the dispatcher KNOWS the speed of the WIND?
sorry i just couldn't help asking ....lol

ever take a train order by hanging out the window?

now be kind i'm just fooling around witCha

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:44:20 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Are there standards on how long you have to sound your horn at crossings? And does it matter if they are signed, lit, or gated? I live near a crossing with only a sign and they seem to lay on the horn.

two longs, a short, and a long....until you occupy the crossing

is there a siding near the crossing? if they are going slow in or out of the siding it may make the horn time longer...

The one closest to my house love to sound it for over a minute continuously- I've timed it. WTF is up with that?

More than one crossing.

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:44:46 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

so the dispatcher KNOWS the speed of the WIND?
sorry i just couldn't help asking ....lol

They know when the National Weather Service issues a high wind advisory for a given area. Then they send out a high wind warning restricting the operation of trains. Oftentimes the dispatcher will contact crews in the area to see if winds are as high as predicted and allow the train to run without restriction is high winds are not present.

ever take a train order by hanging out the window?

now be kind i'm just fooling around witCha

I have. Also have had hot food (burgers, pizza) handed up on the fly, by both trainmasters and ordering from trackside restaurants.

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:46:16 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

so the dispatcher KNOWS the speed of the WIND?
sorry i just couldn't help asking ....lol

They know when the National Weather Service issues a high wind advisory for a given area. Then they send out a high wind warning restricting the operation of trains. Oftentimes the dispatcher will contact crews in the area to see if winds are as high as predicted and allow the train to run without restriction is high winds are not present.

ever take a train order by hanging out the window?

now be kind i'm just fooling around witCha

I have. Also have had hot food (burgers, pizza) handed up on the fly, by both trainmasters and ordering from trackside restaurants.

You ARE old

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:47:08 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Are there standards on how long you have to sound your horn at crossings? And does it matter if they are signed, lit, or gated? I live near a crossing with only a sign and they seem to lay on the horn.

two longs, a short, and a long....until you occupy the crossing

is there a siding near the crossing? if they are going slow in or out of the siding it may make the horn time longer...

The one closest to my house love to sound it for over a minute continuously- I've timed it. WTF is up with that?

More than one crossing.

Or a wide crossing and low train speed. The horn must be blown continuously from the time the locomotive enters the crossing until it reaches the other side.

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:49:56 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

so the dispatcher KNOWS the speed of the WIND?
sorry i just couldn't help asking ....lol

They know when the National Weather Service issues a high wind advisory for a given area. Then they send out a high wind warning restricting the operation of trains. Oftentimes the dispatcher will contact crews in the area to see if winds are as high as predicted and allow the train to run without restriction is high winds are not present.

ever take a train order by hanging out the window?

now be kind i'm just fooling around witCha

I have. Also have had hot food (burgers, pizza) handed up on the fly, by both trainmasters and ordering from trackside restaurants.

You ARE old

Not really. We were still operating that way until well into the 1990s on one of our branchlines.

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:53:37 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

Wind can cause problems:

Posted: 4/23/2013 2:53:45 PM EDT

[#10]

Posted: 4/23/2013 3:22:23 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

They know when the National Weather Service issues a high wind advisory for a given area. Then they send out a high wind warning restricting the operation of trains. Oftentimes the dispatcher will contact crews in the area to see if winds are as high as predicted and allow the train to run without restriction is high winds are not present.

There are weather stations at terminals that are tied into the dispatching system. They show up in smart mobile.

Posted: 4/23/2013 4:19:58 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

Wind can cause problems:

http://youtu.be/LYubpuIe3cw

Holy shitsnacks.

Posted: 4/23/2013 4:33:24 PM EDT

[#13]

If the entire railroad system was being built from scratch today, how would it be different? Specifically I'm curious if a different gauge track would be better if we didn't have the legacy 4' 8.5", but anything else you think would be different is interesting.

Posted: 4/23/2013 4:58:14 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

so the dispatcher KNOWS the speed of the WIND?
sorry i just couldn't help asking ....lol

ever take a train order by hanging out the window?

now be kind i'm just fooling around witCha

they have access to weather advisories and many defect detectors now have wind speed indicators installed....so yes.

Posted: 4/23/2013 5:54:25 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

Wind has a huge effect on trains. I have been on 70 mph double stack hot shots that couldn't pull 40 on a flat grade, even when powered up. We had intermodal trains blow over every now and again on my old district, and some trains would be held at the terminal for blow over risk (such as empty coal trains, and double stack trains). I have never seen a locomotive blow over, though.

Posted: 4/23/2013 6:00:39 PM EDT

[#16]

I've seen empty wallboard cars get blown up the track. No air or brakes tied. True.

Posted: 4/23/2013 6:08:07 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
If the entire railroad system was being built from scratch today, how would it be different? Specifically I'm curious if a different gauge track would be better if we didn't have the legacy 4' 8.5", but anything else you think would be different is interesting.

I think it would be more difficult to build now. More urban sprawl, more private property, etc. Bills that passed back in the 1800's wouldn't stand a chance now. As to gauge, I have heard the 5 ft gauge is best, but I would defer to Electric Sheep on that.

If I were a rail baron and building a new railroad, I would build it like an isosceles triangle, and for me it starts with Chicago.

Chicago-Des Moines-Omaha(Jct Omaha-Denver)--Cheyenne-Denver
Chicago-St Louis(Jct St Louis-Little Rock-New Orleans)-Springfield-Tulsa-Dallas-San Antonio-Corpus Christi-Brownsville
Chicago-Indianapolis-Louisville-Nashville-Atlanta-Savannah
Chicago-Kansas City-Wichita-Amarillo-Belen-Tucson-Phoenix-Los Angeles
Denver-Salina-Kansas City-Indianapolis
Denver-Amarillo-Ft Worth-Houston-Galveston
Denver-Oklahoma City-Ft Worth
Atlanta-Birmingham-Jackson-Shreveport-Dallas-Ft Worth-El Paso
Atlanta-Montgomery-Mobile-New Orleans-Baton Rouge-Beaumont (Port Arthur)-Houston-Corpus Christi
Atlanta-Gainesville-Orlando Jct-Miami (Jct Orlando-Tampa)
Houston-San Antonio-El Paso-Tucson
Kansas City-Wichita-Abilene,TX-Presidio-Topolabampo, MX
Dallas-Abilene, TX- Presidio-Puerto Lazarus Cardenas, MX

I should get that Microsoft train simulator thing. Some of our crews play that shit.

Posted: 4/23/2013 10:34:16 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
More towards rail mechanics I guess..

When your driving in one of those pickup trucks with the little rail wheels..

How fast can you safely go? On long straights, in curves?

Can you just hit the cruse control sit back and surf ARFCOM? Ya, you have to watch the rails but do you have to do anything?

On welded rail I *may* or *may not* have done 70. It was for a good reason...another crew spotted some girls sunbathing.
I was later told by my buddy who was a vehicle mechanic I was on a one-way ticket to hell. You rail flange is less than an inch and by design, not much of the truck's weight is on them. Your steering wheel locks in the straight position. In theory you can set the cruise control and kick back, however, none of our vehicles could do cruise control below 45 mph...and the maximum speed for hy-rail vehicles per FRA regulations is 35 mph. I typically drove with just my toes on the gas instead of flat-footing it...as an inspector, I found many defects by "braille". It doesnt take much to derail a hyrail truck, so you want to pay attention when you are running a track.

Exceeding the track speed on jointed rail was a recipe for derailment. I have derailed a hy-rail truck close to 50 times...it sucks! I worked for a railroad that believed as long as the rails were parallel, the track was good. We used twice as much oak per year in re-railing blocking as we did in ties. Al Gore would have shit. I went from a whole head of dark brown hair to a head of gray hair in less than 4 years of inspecting, because they left so much go to hell no matter what I wrote up. I could bore you with recounts of times I've gauged a rail length of track or pulled out ties and flipped them by myself, because there was no chance of the gang getting to it before it would cause a problem.

sorry for the rant...fuck the railroad.

Posted: 4/23/2013 10:38:58 PM EDT

[#19]

What's the scariest experience you ever had on a train?

Posted: 4/23/2013 10:52:02 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

On welded rail I *may* or *may not* have done 70. It was for a good reason...another crew spotted some girls sunbathing.

I was later told by my buddy who was a vehicle mechanic I was on a one-way ticket to hell. You rail flange is less than an inch and by design, not much of the truck's weight is on them. Your steering wheel locks in the straight position. In theory you can set the cruise control and kick back, however, none of our vehicles could do cruise control below 45 mph...and the maximum speed for hy-rail vehicles per FRA regulations is 35 mph. I typically drove with just my toes on the gas instead of flat-footing it...as an inspector, I found many defects by "braille". It doesnt take much to derail a hyrail truck, so you want to pay attention when you are running a track.

Exceeding the track speed on jointed rail was a recipe for derailment. I have derailed a hy-rail truck close to 50 times...it sucks! I worked for a railroad that believed as long as the rails were parallel, the track was good. We used twice as much oak per year in re-railing blocking as we did in ties. Al Gore would have shit. I went from a whole head of dark brown hair to a head of gray hair in less than 4 years of inspecting, because they left so much go to hell no matter what I wrote up. I could bore you with recounts of times I've gauged a rail length of track or pulled out ties and flipped them by myself, because there was no chance of the gang getting to it before it would cause a problem.

sorry for the rant...fuck the railroad.

Our rules say 45.

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:12:20 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

winds can slow you down, and they can blow over your cars if strong enough, mainly stacks. If the wind speed gets too high the dispatcher will stop you.

so the dispatcher KNOWS the speed of the WIND?
sorry i just couldn't help asking ....lol

They know when the National Weather Service issues a high wind advisory for a given area. Then they send out a high wind warning restricting the operation of trains. Oftentimes the dispatcher will contact crews in the area to see if winds are as high as predicted and allow the train to run without restriction is high winds are not present.

ever take a train order by hanging out the window?

now be kind i'm just fooling around witCha

I have. Also have had hot food (burgers, pizza) handed up on the fly, by both trainmasters and ordering from trackside restaurants.

You ARE old

Out here they regularly stop the train to go to the deli at the gas station next to the tracks much to the dismay of everyone on the other side of the tracks.

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:16:54 PM EDT

[#22]

Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:19:44 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

What do you mean by repair panel?

...and do you mean primer green?

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:29:59 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:

For the current engineers.

What is the oldest locomotive you have operated?

Not an engineer, but I have worked with SW10s and SD9s that were built in the mid 1950s.

I would have bet money on you being an engineer.

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:38:19 PM EDT

[#25]

Why is all the graffiti illegible?

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:40:27 PM EDT

[#26]

Bad order car. Those tags are supposed to phased out.

Posted: 4/23/2013 11:42:56 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Why is all the graffiti illegible?

Google "graffiti Saigon".

He's a Vietnamese refugee that uses railcars to paint murals. I've seen one, and it was impressive.

Posted: 4/24/2013 12:11:56 AM EDT

[#28]

Do your locomotives have deadmen in them? I know some class 1 railroads that do and some that don't.

Don't have a clue about the short lines though.

33 years with Union Pacific.

Posted: 4/24/2013 12:19:22 AM EDT

[#29]

Took these pictures last week, this was the closest i could get.

The next day they were both gone. I assumed they were moved inside the shop.

Posted: 4/24/2013 12:26:52 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

How much effect does the wind have on a train?

I have seen long trains out west with gale strength winds and I wondered.

Is the wind a realistic concern?

There is video on Youtube of a tornado tossing a train off the track.

ETA. Should have read the whole thread...Boomer posted it.

Posted: 4/24/2013 12:29:17 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
For the current engineers.

What is the oldest locomotive you have operated?

Not an engineer, but I have worked with SW10s and SD9s that were built in the mid 1950s.

I would have bet money on you being an engineer.

What would make you say that? Most Conductors on my old district were licensed, although they may not have held a turn, even the conductors that were not licensed (usually to avoid a cut in pay) could still run a train if they needed to.

Posted: 4/24/2013 12:58:12 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

Quoted:
A straight SD40, while good locomotive, is not an SD40-2. A straight SD40 has more complicated wiring and cards are starting to get more difficult to find..

WAT? No.

SD40, GP38 = Use old school electro-mechanical relays in the electrical panel to control the locomotive power. No cards.

SD40-2, GP38-2 = Use a modularized electrical panel with individual electronic modules to control locomotive power. Cards.

The beauty of the original pre -2 SD40s and GP38s is that they load lightning fast. Noticeably quicker than the subsequent -2 variants. They are AWESOME to flat switch with. They will rip the pin lifter right out of your hand.

On the other hand, talk to any old school railroader and you are bound to hear stories about having to manually operate those relays during transition to keep the locomotive from dropping it's load. The -2s were a huge improvement in this regard.

+1 Learned to run our coal trains with five SD-40s on the head end, before we got MAC 70s or Dash 9s, will make your butt pucker when they transition pulling a grade. My favorite engine to run is the SD, best to switch with is an old butthead.

Posted: 4/24/2013 12:59:59 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do you work for a short line? Since you don't have DPU.

Yes. In North Texas, although I am looking elsewhere already.

Don't mind him, he's just fixated on the DP in DPU.

I can't help but be fixated on DP, that's what your sister likes best, but you know this already.

Posted: 4/24/2013 1:23:26 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do you work for a short line? Since you don't have DPU.

Yes. In North Texas, although I am looking elsewhere already.

Don't mind him, he's just fixated on the DP in DPU.

I can't help but be fixated on DP, that's what your sister likes best, but you know this already.

Posted: 4/24/2013 1:56:04 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
Took these pictures last week, this was the closest i could get.

The next day they were both gone. I assumed they were moved inside the shop.
<a href="http://s288.photobucket.com/user/zug556/media/DSC01554_zpsec568b5a.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll193/zug556/DSC01554_zpsec568b5a.jpg</a>
<a href="http://s288.photobucket.com/user/zug556/media/Funit2_zps6902b0b3.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll193/zug556/Funit2_zps6902b0b3.jpg</a>

Norfolk Southern purchased them. I've heard two things regarding their status. The first is that they wil be used as parts donors to keep the NS executive F7 fleet up. The other thing I've heard is that they will be used to as a second executive set. Check with AltoonaWorks.com.

Posted: 4/24/2013 1:58:03 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do you work for a short line? Since you don't have DPU.

Yes. In North Texas, although I am looking elsewhere already.

Don't mind him, he's just fixated on the DP in DPU.

I can't help but be fixated on DP, that's what your sister likes best, but you know this already.

Number, Facebook email?

Posted: 4/24/2013 2:40:40 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do you work for a short line? Since you don't have DPU.

Yes. In North Texas, although I am looking elsewhere already.

Don't mind him, he's just fixated on the DP in DPU.

I can't help but be fixated on DP, that's what your sister likes best, but you know this already.

Number, Facebook email?

Jesus. Fucking railroaders

Posted: 4/24/2013 2:55:15 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
What's the scariest experience you ever had on a train?

killing people in cars and trucks.........

with the head end of train and with them crashing into the sides

Posted: 4/24/2013 3:24:33 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
If the entire railroad system was being built from scratch today, how would it be different? Specifically I'm curious if a different gauge track would be better if we didn't have the legacy 4' 8.5", but anything else you think would be different is interesting.

Eliminate as many grade crossing as possible, especially in metropolitan areas. More cuts and tunnels if able to reduce time between points, if cost effective. Eliminate redundant mainlines between major cities. Wider gauge allows for larger cars and greater speeds, but takes more room.

Original routes were often paid for by people in the cities trying to get hooked up to major lines and increase business. Only the original few transcontinental routes got federal subsidies. Many small division points would be eliminated as the original limitations imposed by engine endurance, train speed, crew change points, and later Federal and Union work rules, have been made obsolete. Water stops and water supplies are no longer a major factor in operations.

In theory, electrification is the way to go for heavy mainline operations, in practice, it hasn't worked out that way at least in the US. The additional infrastructure to deliver electricity to the engines on the tracks is very costly in construction and maintenance, over and above the basically identical operating and maintenance costs for internal combustion trackage. Until the US can deliver power trackside competitively with diesel power, electrification isn't going to happen outside the areas it is now working, and in those areas it is only for passenger trains. Nuclear generated power could do it, but that isn't going to happen for a long time.

Posted: 4/24/2013 3:24:56 AM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
Took these pictures last week, this was the closest i could get.

The next day they were both gone. I assumed they were moved inside the shop.
<a href="http://s288.photobucket.com/user/zug556/media/DSC01554_zpsec568b5a.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll193/zug556/DSC01554_zpsec568b5a.jpg</a>
<a href="http://s288.photobucket.com/user/zug556/media/Funit2_zps6902b0b3.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll193/zug556/Funit2_zps6902b0b3.jpg</a>

One of the companies I worked for probably bought those lol.

Posted: 4/24/2013 3:27:16 AM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:
If the entire railroad system was being built from scratch today, how would it be different? Specifically I'm curious if a different gauge track would be better if we didn't have the legacy 4' 8.5", but anything else you think would be different is interesting.

Eliminate as many grade crossing as possible, especially in metropolitan areas. More cuts and tunnels if able to reduce time between points, if cost effective. Eliminate redundant mainlines between major cities. Wider gauge allows for larger cars and greater speeds, but takes more room.

Original routes were often paid for by people in the cities trying to get hooked up to major lines and increase business. Only the original few transcontinental routes got federal subsidies. Many small division points would be eliminated as the original limitations imposed by engine endurance, train speed, crew change points, and later Federal and Union work rules, have been made obsolete. Water stops and water supplies are no longer a major factor in operations.

In theory, electrification is the way to go for heavy mainline operations, in practice, it hasn't worked out that way at least in the US. The additional infrastructure to deliver electricity to the engines on the tracks is very costly in construction and maintenance, over and above the basically identical operating and maintenance costs for internal combustion trackage. Until the US can deliver power trackside competitively with diesel power, electrification isn't going to happen outside the areas it is now working, and in those areas it is only for passenger trains. Nuclear generated power could do it, but that isn't going to happen for a long time.

There is a study out there that shows that the Milwaukee Road electrification would have made the Western Extension profitable in the 80s due to the increasing cost of oil. It's so much more expensive now, it would have been the cats ass.

Posted: 4/24/2013 3:38:13 AM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
What's the scariest experience you ever had on a train?

Not a railroader, but my Dad knew a bunch and got me some cab rides in the good old days.

How about 95+ mph on the head end of the Santa Fe Super Chief through Monrovia, CA on jointed rail, and seeing some bozo apparently trying to beat us to a crossing? IIRC I was about 10-12 years old and Amtrak was still about 7 years in the future.

Santa Fe had some stretches in So Cal where they had the necessary ATS (Automatic Train Stop) equipment and were allowed track speed of 90 with passenger trains. It was not uncommon for some of the passenger trains to go over 100 making up time. Through Camp Pendleton between LA and San Diego, between Pasadena and San Bernardino, and several stretches in the desert between Victorville and Needles. I'm pretty sure they had some burners east of the Rockies on the flat lands

Posted: 4/24/2013 5:58:39 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
Do your locomotives have deadmen in them? I know some class 1 railroads that do and some that don't.
Don't have a clue about the short lines though.
33 years with Union Pacific.

I haven't seen a deadman pedal since 1998. And that was on an ex-Conrail GP.

Posted: 4/24/2013 2:06:52 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

What do you mean by repair panel?

...and do you mean primer green?

One or two sections of the side are yellow-green. Not sure if it's primer. What keeps damaging the side of the cars?

Posted: 4/24/2013 2:19:58 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

What do you mean by repair panel?

...and do you mean primer green?

One or two sections of the side are yellow-green. Not sure if it's primer. What keeps damaging the side of the cars?

They could just be covering graffiti, old reporting marks, old logos, or could just be part of the lettering scheme. Most unit train hoppers have one end painted a color (rotary coupler end) and I've seen covered hoppers with a couple of panels painted differently where the reporting marks are.

Posted: 4/24/2013 2:49:03 PM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

What do you mean by repair panel?

...and do you mean primer green?

One or two sections of the side are yellow-green. Not sure if it's primer. What keeps damaging the side of the cars?

Switchmen

Posted: 4/24/2013 4:08:51 PM EDT

[#47]

Whats wrong with this picture?

Posted: 4/24/2013 4:33:45 PM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

What do you mean by repair panel?

...and do you mean primer green?

One or two sections of the side are yellow-green. Not sure if it's primer. What keeps damaging the side of the cars?

They could just be covering graffiti, old reporting marks, old logos, or could just be part of the lettering scheme. Most unit train hoppers have one end painted a color (rotary coupler end) and I've seen covered hoppers with a couple of panels painted differently where the reporting marks are.

What I'm seeing - a whole lot - is something like this:

...but with one or two adjacent spaces between the vertical bars being a yellow-green, instead of black, and the vertical bars right next to the green area being white, instead of black.

Posted: 4/24/2013 4:54:49 PM EDT

[#49]

Like this:

https://www.trinityrail.com/uploads/productimages/MaxGon-R.jpg

Posted: 4/24/2013 6:22:07 PM EDT

[#50]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Why do I keep seeing what appear to be repair panels painted chartreuse green, especially on hopper cars?

What do you mean by repair panel?

...and do you mean primer green?

One or two sections of the side are yellow-green. Not sure if it's primer. What keeps damaging the side of the cars?

They could just be covering graffiti, old reporting marks, old logos, or could just be part of the lettering scheme. Most unit train hoppers have one end painted a color (rotary coupler end) and I've seen covered hoppers with a couple of panels painted differently where the reporting marks are.

What I'm seeing - a whole lot - is something like this:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsZxm4J0d0XcobPY2VYWFUl2B1Jh40hDe0Mb4hgT2Kp4D9HoyT

...but with one or two adjacent spaces between the vertical bars being a yellow-green, instead of black, and the vertical bars right next to the green area being white, instead of black.

Dude. It's seriously where they've replaced a panel due to damage. Like another car running into the side of it. A piece of machinery in the plant hitting it. Shit like that.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Official Railroad Thread. Everything You Wanted to Know About Railroads and Railroading (Page 4 of 60)

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