TOFC/COFC Tuesday


Meant to contribute to this last week, but didn't get around to it in time. And suddenly it's a week later. Double stack inbound to San Antonio yard passing The Espee, a music venue in the former SP station.

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And on the trailing end, an open container, one of the first I've seen in person.

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skyliner said:
Meant to contribute to this last week, but didn't get around to it in time. And suddenly it's a week later. Double stack inbound to San Antonio yard passing The Espee, a music venue in the former SP station.

52532388418_69cfb52954_o.jpg


And on the trailing end, an open container, one of the first I've seen in person.

52531374677_34a684938f_o.jpg
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Eric: Was that going by at speed? Wonder if *somebody* was in the container or it just popped open. It has been my experience with containers that they are almost impossible to open without 2 men and a boy. Sitting on the top would make it even harder. Go figure?

Later
 
ctclibby said:
Eric: Was that going by at speed? Wonder if *somebody* was in the container or it just popped open. It has been my experience with containers that they are almost impossible to open without 2 men and a boy. Sitting on the top would make it even harder. Go figure?

Later
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As a container has two locking bars on each door it's unlikely it would open on it's own, more like someone broke in to steal what was inside while the train was stationary, when it moved away, they jumped off and left the door open.
 
I think all those containers have a seal on the door latches as well. There have been places along the tracks around Los Angeles, CA were there is so much container contents discarded along the tracks, you can hardly see the rails.
Such wonderful people who pillage unguarded containers and the loss is paid through the insurance companies who in turn increase the premiums which in turn is paid for by the honest customers. In the meantime, these slugs of humanity sit at home watching their favorite TV shows with their kids on the big screen TV that they stole but they can't figure out why their life is so miserable.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
I think all those containers have a seal on the door latches as well. There have been places along the tracks around Los Angeles, CA were there is so much container contents discarded along the tracks, you can hardly see the rails.
Such wonderful people who pillage unguarded containers and the loss is paid through the insurance companies who in turn increase the premiums which in turn is paid for by the honest customers. In the meantime, these slugs of humanity sit at home watching their favorite TV shows with their kids on the big screen TV that they stole but they can't figure out why their life is so miserable.
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Ya, those seals are usually 'bolt' types made out of hardened steel about 3/8" diameter. It is tough getting them off even with the tools for the job ( 4ft bolt cutters, or a specific bolt cutter saw ). You don't just 'pull them off'. The saws are $spendy although I suppose if that was the case; probably stolen too. Kinda hard to hide the bolt cutters needed so walking into a rail yard or ? would at least sound bells and whistles to somebody I would think. When we had a load of drugs, there was also a hardened lock we would use; went around both of the latch bars closest to the door middle and there were multiple bolts on them. Needed acetylene to get those off. Something has got to change!

Later
 
ctclibby said:
Ya, those seals are usually 'bolt' types made out of hardened steel about 3/8" diameter. It is tough getting them off even with the tools for the job ( 4ft bolt cutters, or a specific bolt cutter saw ). You don't just 'pull them off'. The saws are $spendy although I suppose if that was the case; probably stolen too. Kinda hard to hide the bolt cutters needed so walking into a rail yard or ? would at least sound bells and whistles to somebody I would think. When we had a load of drugs, there was also a hardened lock we would use; went around both of the latch bars closest to the door middle and there were multiple bolts on them. Needed acetylene to get those off. Something has got to change!

Later
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A battery operated grinder will go through any lock you want to put on there.



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ctclibby said:
Eric: Was that going by at speed? Wonder if *somebody* was in the container or it just popped open. It has been my experience with containers that they are almost impossible to open without 2 men and a boy. Sitting on the top would make it even harder. Go figure?

Later
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It was going by at moderate speed, maybe 30-40 mph at most. By the time the last car passed me, the head end was probably in or approaching the yard. My guess is that someone opened that container at some point when the train was stopped to see what was inside. I know bolt seals are becoming more common, and I think UP is requiring their use starting next year, but I thought some shippers still use wire or strip seals? Plus, even some bolt seals are easy to break; there's a video on youtube of how to snap one with just a hammer and screwdriver.
 
Double stacks over Donner! This was taken about five years ago, I found a hiking trail that crossed the Overland route near Emigrant Gap. After a little bit of waiting, a relatively short eastbound went by. You can see a couple other hikers watching the train. They are standing right where the trail crosses the tracks. I did find some interesting debris along the tracks, including rusty nails, spikes, and a glass telegraph insulator.

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Here's the rear end. The train is about eight miles from the Summit and Tunnel No. 41. Growing up in the Bay Area, I remember seeing SP trains running along the line above Donner Lake during visits. Alas with the opening of the new summit tunnel, that portion of the line is no longer in use, although you can hike along it and thru the old snow sheds.

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A couple of years ago I was driving around Tacoma looking for a good spot to take some pictures. I ended up at Titlow Beach, hoping to get a good shot of a southbound train with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the background. Well, by the time a train came by, the sun had already moved off from the best lighting position and the place I'd picked to wait turned out to not be that great a spot to get a train and the bridge in the viewfinder.

So anyway, here's a picture of the middle of that train highlighting some containers. I believe these are trash containers, note the top covers and Waste Management company placards. Interestingly, the upper container on the left has a UN 2212 hazmat diamond on it, which means it's carrying...asbestos.

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skyliner said:
A couple of years ago I was driving around Tacoma looking for a good spot to take some pictures. I ended up at Titlow Beach, hoping to get a good shot of a southbound train with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the background. Well, by the time a train came by, the sun had already moved off from the best lighting position and the place I'd picked to wait turned out to not be that great a spot to get a train and the bridge in the viewfinder.

So anyway, here's a picture of the middle of that train highlighting some containers. I believe these are trash containers, note the top covers and Waste Management company placards. Interestingly, the upper container on the left has a UN 2212 hazmat diamond on it, which means it's carrying...asbestos.

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Nice thanks for sharing I’ve pull a many of those open top containers in my 25 years at my old job.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Not exactly TOFC or COFC but these are pretty close.

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Well cars are still to this day considering COFC and some are TOFC if they have a fifth wheel on them when I pulled containers when we had to lift the container off the chassis we got what they called a COFC charge.If we dropped the the whole unit Chassis and Container it was a TOFC charge to the rail. We got Paid $20.00 to get it lifted off chassis and another $20.00 to term/ drop the chassis looks ok to me.
 
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