Canadian Railroads > Neighborhood distraction...

CP Rail is reballasting the north main track on the curve just west of the Montreal West station today. For a change, they are using very nicely painted units on the ballast train, GP38-2 units 3089 and 3099. The ballast hopper cars are radio controlled and have solar panels to charge the batteries for their electronics.

Ray

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And the caboose...

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And where are the solar panel (or panels) plus the electronics
located so that they won't get smashed?
Sid.

telegraphboy Wrote:
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> And where are the solar panel (or panels) plus the
> electronics located so that they won't get smashed?

You can see them in the 3rd picture. The equipment is mounted up on the rim of the hopper body at the A-end of each car (the 2 solar panels are arranged like a small gable roof).

Ray

Ray_Murphy Wrote:
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> telegraphboy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And where are the solar panel (or panels) plus
> the
> > electronics located so that they won't get
> smashed?
>
> You can see them in the 3rd picture. The equipment
> is mounted up on the rim of the hopper body at the
> A-end of each car (the 2 solar panels are arranged
> like a small gable roof).
>
> Ray

And yes they do get smashed every now and then when the loading crew isn't paying attention...

Thanks for the info. I have heard from other roads that
some of these hoppers have been programmed with satellite
cordinates. I doubt very much if this is the case here.

However, who tells the hoppers to dump, and which chute?
Would this be someone riding in the caboose, or possibly
walking alongside with a "clicker"?
Sid