Western Railroad Discussion > Coal loading question

Saw this today in Hesperia, CA.  Awaiting movement up the Cushenbury grade on the BNSF, I assume. 

How does the coal end up like this on the one car?  All of the other cars had an even top-off at the rim.
Bonus load?  Oops by the loader? Inquiring minds want to know.

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My guess is loader operator forgot to drop the chute. Should have the same net load just more on one end than the other but it almost does look like some bonus tonnage in there.
These photos show what happens when the train is loaded and the operator forgets to move the chute off to the side. This was the rear DPU on the coal train so no one was inside and is why the crew didn't see it until for some mysterious reason they lost comms with the DPU. LOL! Happened two years ago at Princeton, IN.  CSX & NS load trains here. NS enters on the south side of the loop and CSX enters on the east side.
Third photo shows where the chute should have been off to the side. That is the NS Illinois Terminal unit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/24 04:35 by CSX2605.

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Great shot! I can’t answer the Q but the pic reminds me of the stories from days in the depression when poor kids would jump off a bridge onto passing coal car, lie on their backs, and kick coal off the sides while spinning themselves in a circle on the pile. Their families and friends would race along the tracks picking up (scavenging) loose coal to try to keep their homes warm. A car like this one would have been perfect for them!

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If the car slows momentarily while loading you can get a lump like that. While slow speed controls do a pretty good job maintaing loading speed, hiccups do occur. 

How does the loader operator even allow that to happen? I mean they're sitting RIGHT THERE!!!

What do you mean they lost comm? No way! LOLOL!

Is there any weigh-in-motion tied in with the loader to keep a car from being overloaded?

PHall Wrote:
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> How does the loader operator even allow that to
> happen? I mean they're sitting RIGHT THERE!!!
Everyone went home after loading so when the new crew showed up they got on the head end and started pulling and the rest is history. 

CSX2605 Wrote:
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> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How does the loader operator even allow that to
> > happen? I mean they're sitting RIGHT THERE!!!
> Everyone went home after loading so when the new
> crew showed up they got on the head end and
> started pulling and the rest is history. 

Still, why did the loader operator not secure the loader in it's parking spot before he left? 

Don't many loaders weigh the car as it's being
loaded? Would they detect an overload at one
end if the total car weight was legal?

He didn't move the chute because he forgot to.Why?  He could have been sick, had a family problem, Could have had another family commitment, or been in a hurry for Miller time.

Sam

timz Wrote:
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> Don't many loaders weigh the car as it's being
> loaded? Would they detect an overload at one
> end if the total car weight was legal?

I can't recall the rule about loads being out of balance, but I can remember that being a consideration.

Looks to me like the train speed dropped for a moment.  But, the rest of the car looks evenly loaded, making it look like this is indeed extra coal.  My understanding of how bulk loading silos work is there is an upper weigh hopper that fills while the lower hopper is dumping.  This way they can get an accurate weight on the upper hopper before dumping into the lower hopper.  Would be interesting to know the arrangement at the silo where this train loaded.  Maybe a door got stuck open or something.

Andy

Teh 914 appearsd top havwe been moving under the loadout when it dropped onto the hood and was then drugc along the cab and short hood, ie: running in reverse as withe the second unit or as the DP and the chute was accidentally lowered onto the unit, or there was a mechanical failure not human related.  Whatever, it was dragged along the unit towrd the units drong iend, ie, all the dmaged items are leaning toward the fron ot he unit.

RR

The little boys at Fort Pitt had a favorite crew. They'd throw "rocks" at them (really pebbles) and the fireman would chuck all the oversized lumps of coal out the window. There was also a routine accidental overloading of tenders on the mine end of the run so large lumps would fall off. 

At Christmas, for some reason, small bags of penny candy and dime-store toys mysteriously fell out. 

Rebecca Morgan
Jacobsburg, OH