Flatcar
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A flatcar (US) (also flat car,
Flatcars are used for loads that are too large or cumbersome to load in enclosed cars such as boxcars. They are also often used to transport intermodal containers (shipping containers) or trailers as part of intermodal freight transport shipping.
Specialized types
Aircraft parts flatcars
Aircraft parts were hauled via conventional
Bulkhead flatcars
Bulkhead flatcars are designed with sturdy end-walls (
Centerbeam flatcars/lumber racks
Centerbeam flatcars, centerbeams, center partition railcar, or "lumber racks"
Heavy capacity flatcars
Heavy capacity flatcars are cars designed to carry more than 100 short tons (90.72 t; 89.29 long tons). They often have more than the typical North American standard of four axles (one two-axle truck at each end), and may have a depressed center to handle excess-height loads as well as two trucks of three axles each (one at each end) or four trucks (two at each end) of two axles each, connected by span bolsters. Loads typically handled include electrical power equipment and large industrial production machinery.
Circus use
A circus train is a modern method of conveyance for
Remote control use
Some companies, such as CSX Transportation, have former wood-carrying flatcars rebuilt into platforms which mount remote control equipment for use in operating locomotives. Such platforms are fitted with appropriate headlights, horns, and air brake appliances to operate in the leading position on a cut of cars (i.e. coupled ahead of the locomotive).
Intermodal freight use
COFC (container on flat car) cars are typically 89 feet (27.13 m) long and carry four 20-foot (6.10 m) intermodal containers or two 40-foot (12.19 m)/45-foot (13.72 m) shipping containers (the two 45-foot or 13.72-metre containers are carryable due to the fact that the car is actually 92 ft or 28.04 m long, over the strike plates). With the rise of intermodal-freight-transport–specific cars, and given the age of most of these flats, numbers will decline over the next several years. Indeed, when the first well cars appeared, allowing double stacking, many container flats were re-built as autoracks. The few "new build" container flats are identifiable by their lack of decking, welded steel frame, and standard 89-foot (27.13 m) length. One variant is the 50-foot (15.24 m) car (which usually carries one large container as a load); these are actually re-built old boxcars. Common reporting marks are FEC, CP, SOO and KTTX. The ATTX cars, which feature non-sparking grips and sides, are built for hauling dangerous goods (ammunition, flammable fluids, etc.).
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A Florida East Coast Railway flatcar carries two shipping containers as it passes through Glen Haven, Wisconsin.
Spine car
A spine car is a car with only center and side sills and lateral arms to support intermodal containers.
Trailer-on-flat car
A
A longer TOFC (trailer on flat car) is usually an 89 ft (27.13 m) car. In the past, these carried three 30 ft (9.14 m) trailers which are, as of 2007, almost obsolete, or one large, 53 ft (16.15 m), two 40-foot (12.19 m) or 45-foot (13.72 m) trailers. As intermodal traffic grows, these dedicated flats are in decline. Most have been modified to also carry containers as well. One notable type is Canadian Pacific Railway's XTRX service—dedicated five-unit flats that only carry trailers.
Skeleton car
Similar to the spine car except that it is designed to carry
Idler flatcars
In some marine services, the linkspan between a ferry or barge and its dock is very weak. In order to avoid loss of cargo or heavy locomotives, an old flatcar (which is usually the lightest car available) is used as a bridge between the locomotive on the dock and the cars on the ferry or barge.
Idler flatcars are also used in oversize freight service, as loads such as
Often a flat car is placed directly in front of a
- provide a way to remove a wrecked car from a crash site.
- provide a way to store new or removed rail from a work site.
- allow room for the crane's boom while in transit to and from a work site.
Idler flatcars are also used to mount one kind of coupler on one end and another kind on the other end (dual coupling). This is called a match wagon or a barrier vehicle.
Gallery
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CN flatcar with newly built Road-Graders.
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Thetrolley-pole, instead it is powered by a generatortowed on a small flatcar.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Guide to Railcars". Archived from the original on 2011-03-08.
- ^ "NP Flat Car Diagrams". Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ^ "Model of a skeleton car". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-03-15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Another model". Archived from the original on 2011-04-03. Retrieved 2011-03-15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-03. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "40 ft (12.19 m) log flat car with side stakes". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
- ^ "42 ft (12.80 m) log flat car with side stakes". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Skelleton logging car, 80,000 lb (36,000 kg) capacity
- Thompson, Scott R. (1996). Great Northern Equipment Color Pictorial: Book Two, Freight Cars. La Mirada, CA: Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 1-885614-11-X.