TheRailwire

General Discussion => Product Discussion => Topic started by: lock4244 on February 03, 2023, 12:12:25 PM

Title: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 03, 2023, 12:12:25 PM
Not sure if already mentioned here, but these were a long time in coming. If anyone here has some of the bulkheads in need of loads, Jeff has released four schemes in two packs that are, imo, pretty fairly priced. If you don't own any of the bulkheads, they're discounted, as are the loads if you buy them together.

https://www.prairieshadows.com/catalog/product/prairie-shadows-n-bulkhead-flatcar-lumber-load/496 (https://www.prairieshadows.com/catalog/product/prairie-shadows-n-bulkhead-flatcar-lumber-load/496)
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: dandopinski on February 03, 2023, 02:14:49 PM
Jeff has been good to us Canadians, and an excellent custom painter as well.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: BCR 570 on February 04, 2023, 11:02:11 AM
These look quite nice; I would entertain purchasing a few Canfor loads.

Tim
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 06, 2023, 12:33:33 PM
Jeff has been good to us Canadians, and an excellent custom painter as well.

He had his N scale UP Tiger SD60M on display at Trainfest... it was pretty damned good. His CP Military units were also exceptional. I don't actually do any real modeling, so seeing what someone with actual talent in person can do always impresses me.

Beyond his painting skills and the goodies he's taken financial risk to produce for us N scalers, he's also a great guy (and fun at parties, lol).
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 06, 2023, 12:38:10 PM
Some pics of the lumber loads:

MacBlo
[attachimg=1]

Canfor
[attachimg=2]

Can see under the loads, nice touch
[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

Underside
[attachimg=5]
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: cv_acr on February 06, 2023, 01:45:18 PM
the strapping lines on the loads are a little odd unfortunately though. The banding should tie each row of bundles to the one below it to make a solid load. None of those lines line up from one level to the other, so this load isn't tied together at all and would just fall off the car....
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 06, 2023, 02:51:15 PM
the strapping lines on the loads are a little odd unfortunately though. The banding should tie each row of bundles to the one below it to make a solid load. None of those lines line up from one level to the other, so this load isn't tied together at all and would just fall off the car....

True, but probably not an issue in this instance.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: dandopinski on February 06, 2023, 02:55:58 PM
Easily fixed with a fine tipped Sharpie marker.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: thomasjmdavis on February 06, 2023, 03:03:26 PM
the strapping lines on the loads are a little odd unfortunately though. The banding should tie each row of bundles to the one below it to make a solid load. None of those lines line up from one level to the other, so this load isn't tied together at all and would just fall off the car....
The banding ("strapping lines") holds each pallet load together. Which looks correct to me. The plastic wrapping by itself wouldn't hold up to keep the loads together. And it would make unloading more difficult. What is missing are the strap or cable tie downs that would attach to the ...whatever the modern nomenclature is for a stake pocket...and go over the top of the load.

In any case, some years back, when I had my business in Chicago, we occasionally purchased lumber products in large enough quantities that we would drive a flatbed (glorified pickup truck) over to the lumber company, and they would pick our order (banded and wrapped) off a flatcar with their fork lift and put it on our flatbed. 
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 06, 2023, 03:21:48 PM
Each bundle banded to adjacent bundle but nothing to the car or are my eye's missing something?

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn603147&o=cn (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn603147&o=cn)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn603418&o=cn (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn603418&o=cn)
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: thomasjmdavis on February 06, 2023, 04:09:00 PM
Each bundle banded to adjacent bundle but nothing to the car or are my eye's missing something?


You're right, that does seem to be what they are doing in those photos.  It does accomplish the same thing- that is, that the everything is attached "together".  But also note that the individual loads/bundles/pallets also have some individual strapping/banding around the bundle.  In looking at more pictures, it also appears that in some cases, the "wrapper" either goes over the strapping of a load, or is sufficiently strong to keep the pallet load together, as the banding for the individual bundle is not evident.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 06, 2023, 05:36:31 PM
You're right, that does seem to be what they are doing in those photos.  It does accomplish the same thing- that is, that the everything is attached "together".  But also note that the individual loads/bundles/pallets also have some individual strapping/banding around the bundle.  In looking at more pictures, it also appears that in some cases, the "wrapper" either goes over the strapping of a load, or is sufficiently strong to keep the pallet load together, as the banding for the individual bundle is not evident.

In the limited investigating that I've done it seems that the more recent the photo the more the focus is strapping to secure the entire load to the car vs strapping individual bundles. I've ignored centerbeam cars, just been looking at cars matching or close to the Prairie Shadows model. That said, in flood of centerbeam cars relegated the 52' type cars to more specialized loads so seeing them in lumber service is much less common as you get move closer to current year from say 2000.

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol19062&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol19062&o=bcol)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol19085&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol19085&o=bcol)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17968&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17968&o=bcol)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol18417&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol18417&o=bcol)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17405&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17405&o=bcol)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17397&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17397&o=bcol)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17274&o=bcol (http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=bcol17274&o=bcol)
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 06, 2023, 05:52:59 PM
In the end, I'm not going to loose sleep over the banding / strapping... more concerned with affixing them to the cars in a way that they will not shift or fall off, yet be easy enough to remove should the need arise.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: Philip H on February 06, 2023, 10:02:28 PM
In the end, I'm not going to loose sleep over the banding / strapping... more concerned with affixing them to the cars in a way that they will not shift or fall off, yet be easy enough to remove should the need arise.

Maybe small magnets like the JTC ones for containers?
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: milw156 on February 07, 2023, 12:21:58 AM
tiny bit of latex caulk al a couple of points has worked for me, even for TOFC.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: dem34 on February 07, 2023, 12:48:34 AM
I like little spots of blu tac for stuff like that.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: dandopinski on February 07, 2023, 02:52:04 AM
i use a dab of GOOP.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: cv_acr on February 07, 2023, 12:05:40 PM
The banding ("strapping lines") holds each pallet load together. Which looks correct to me. The plastic wrapping by itself wouldn't hold up to keep the loads together. And it would make unloading more difficult. What is missing are the strap or cable tie downs that would attach to the ...whatever the modern nomenclature is for a stake pocket...and go over the top of the load.

The banding for each bundle is under the wrapping.

Then the bundles need to be strapped together. This is what should really show on the load.

They also don't get tied down to the stake pockets. The bundles are strapped together and a "guide rail" is nailed to the bottom risers to hold it in sideways.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 07, 2023, 04:00:50 PM
Maybe small magnets like the JTC ones for containers?

Interesting... the magnets work well in the JTC cans, but I'm not certain that the lumber loads can be opened without using a blade. The flatcars are metal, so should work in theory.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 07, 2023, 04:03:34 PM
I like little spots of blu tac for stuff like that.

I'm intrigued by Blu Tack, seems like the simplest, cleanest mothod.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: Curtis Kyger on February 07, 2023, 05:33:26 PM
Stakes in those stake pockets are required to be used from November 15 to March 31. I use a couple at each end of the car on both sides.  They keep the loads on while allowing the loads to be easily removed after the car is placed at destination.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: BCR751 on February 13, 2023, 02:42:08 PM
These loads are very nice.  Very crisp graphics.  Only bugger I can see are the styrene stickers on the bottom of the load and between the lifts.  It's gonna be difficult to paint those with a wood color.

Doug
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: lock4244 on February 13, 2023, 09:43:15 PM
These loads are very nice.  Very crisp graphics.  Only bugger I can see are the styrene stickers on the bottom of the load and between the lifts.  It's gonna be difficult to paint those with a wood color.

Doug

Jeff was pissed at himself for missing that detail. If more are ever done, they'll come painted.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: wazzou on February 14, 2023, 12:21:05 PM
These loads are very nice.  Very crisp graphics.  Only bugger I can see are the styrene stickers on the bottom of the load and between the lifts.  It's gonna be difficult to paint those with a wood color.

Doug


I think the stickers will be easier to paint than the gaps between the units.
I would want to have that area black to mimic the negative space.
Title: Re: Lumber Loads for Prairie Shadows bulkhead flats
Post by: BCR751 on February 15, 2023, 11:58:19 AM

I think the stickers will be easier to paint than the gaps between the units.
I would want to have that area black to mimic the negative space.

I've fixed that issue using a Staedtler Black Pigment Liner with a 0.05" tip. Picked it up at our local craft store.  The tip fits perfectly between the lifts.

And, another issue I have with those loads is the incorrect placement of the strapping.  Those are only used to secure one lift to one above or below it, not to itself.  The ones on the Prairie Shadows loads are all, or mostly, incorrect.

Doug