Model Railroading > Coal train question

I've noticed Intermountain is releasing and has released 14 panel coal porters, aluminators and aero flow coal gondolas in HO scale. Are these three different types of coal transport cars seen running together in real life consists or are they typically in unit trains by type?

I didn't know if it would be accurate to make a longer coal train of those three aforementioned types running together.

James
Omaha, NE

Posted from Android

When the cars were new they were matched sets. Over years of use and derailments equipment got mixed. Rotary dump cars were not mixed with bottom dump cars in the same train though there are some cars which are bottom dump with rotary ends so they can be mixed in either type of train.

JLW2K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've noticed Intermountain is releasing and has
> released 14 panel coal porters, aluminators and
> aero flow coal gondolas in HO scale. Are these
> three different types of coal transport cars seen
> running together in real life consists or are they
> typically in unit trains by type?
>
> I didn't know if it would be accurate to make a
> longer coal train of those three aforementioned
> types running together.
>
> James
> Omaha, NE
>
> Posted from Android

In Colorado the coal trains i see have a mix of coal porters, Aero flow and Trinity coal gondolas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/18 14:07 by mammothlacrosse.

Pretty common to see North Antelope, East and Black Thunder Mine coal drags running to Arizona with the mix mentioned.

Posted from Android

great thanks guys for the response.

James;

As others have mentioned, rotary dumps, over time, get mixed together. Take a look over at Ritzville's posts on the Western Forum, he usually catches a couple of coal trains a day and you can see the cars mixed together.

Russ

Over the years the BN, then BNSF, bought big bunches of all kinds of coal gondolas and hoppers. Today the coal trains with BNSF cars that pass through my area (eastern Nebr.) are completely mixed as to manufacturer, series, paint job, etc. As cars go through manintenance or repair they are added to a train regardless of what other cars are already in the train.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

It really depends on the railroad as for BNSF they are mixed see attached video most are LBF witch I believe, is the intermountain car note the train has aluminators which I believe to be incorrect when I bought them from LBF I wanted a 100 car train of coalporters but I got a little white lie that BNSF use aluminators so I bought them, I do not believe they ever had them I hope this helps

Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/18 19:14 by bnsfmodeler.

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bnsfmodeler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It really depends on the railroad as for BNSF they
> are mixed see attached video most are LBF witch I
> believe, is the intermountain car note the train
> has aluminators which I believe to be incorrect
> when I bought them from LBF I wanted a 100 car
> train of coalporters but I got a little white lie
> that BNSF use aluminators so I bought them, I do
> not believe they ever had them I hope this helps
>
> Dave


Dave:

BN bought the Trinity Aluminators, as well as AeroFlows and CoalPorters. At some point, BNSF repainted portions of the latter two models and re-stenciled them into the 666XXX series, in various paint schemes. I would suspect that BNSF has re-painted at least some of the Aluminators as well. For some reason railcar photos is not working well with my 'puter this am. In looking at IMRC's website, they are only offering BN at this time, so they may not have enough info on any repaints either.

Regards,
Russ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/18 04:55 by NSTopHat.

The attached video thread shows a unit coal train with several bottom-dump 100 ton triples mixed in with rotary gons.  The triples do not appear to be rotary units (no yellow or white ends) So, based on that, one could conceivably mix both types of coal cars in a unit coal train...

Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Loaded Coal 572 With 3 NS & 2 Manned Helper SD40E's C76