Schnabel Car

[Missaberoad]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12343930@N00/albums/72157648297180624/with/16436531372

This car made 5 trips on CP in the late 80s. I might have to get my hands on a kit.

[pmpexpress]

Why was it scrapped?

While I cannot provide the rational for its being stricken from the Kasgro Rail Corporation fleet, with some additional content on its last day of operation, from my blog article An Engineering Marvel: The Schnabel Car, here is some information on WCEX 800/KRL 3600.

Following Westinghouse Electric Company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2017 and the firm's acquisition by Brookfield Business Partners in 2018, WECX 800 was acquired by Kasgro Rail Corporation in late 2018 and its reporting number was changed to KRL 3600.

Photos on RR Picture Archives that were taken in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 7, 2020 show KRL 3600 after completing its final trip.

According to the information that is listed under a VEGASRAILS photo of KRL 3600 that was taken on June 7, 2020, “After completing it last load/delivery a Nuclear waste cask from Southern California to Apex Nevada, it sits on a siding part of SA recycling which effective June 8, 2020 will start to salvage this freight car.”

Last seen at the Kasgro New Castle, Pennsylvania headquarters and now stricken from the company's fleet roster, the world's largest rail car and the largest piece of railway rolling stock ever constructed in North America, Kasgro built WECX 801, which was derived from replicated drawings of its German (Krupp) manufactured sister car WECX 800 (the ex CEBX 800), was redesignated KRL 3601 once it was reacquired by Kasgro.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Why was it scrapped?

Just a guess, but thinking it hit the 40/50 year mark and no longer allowed in interchange service.

[jpwisc]

It couldn't navigate 9-3/4" radius curves...
Lee

The funny thing is the model (running empty) could take a 9-3/4 curve no problem! It ran anywhere a 50’ boxcar would go. Loaded is another story…

[vermonter_railfan]

I’m bringing an old thread back. Elgin Locomotive Works is coming back to life! Mark has a new email: elginlocomotive@gmail.com
The Schnabel kits have been improved and will be debuted soon. He’s a video of the Gen 1 kit as a teaser

Sent him an email the other day after you messaged me on FB about it, still no reply but I cant wait to get my hands on one! Especially with @samusi01 flats he's been designing and the new MTL thrall 60's. Those will compliment this car perfectly!

[pmpexpress]

Just a guess, but thinking it hit the 40/50 year mark and no longer allowed in interchange service.

According to a passage on the Union Pacific Over-Age Car Policy page:

"Cars built from July 1974 to present or cars which have received an AAR Rule 88 Rebuild or AAR Rule 88 Extended Service Status may continue in interchange service to 50 years of age.

After these cars reach the 50 years of age they may be handled between participating railroads by agreement of all railroads concerned."

With the current AAR and FRA service limits being 50-years, the 1982 Krupp built KRL 3600 (ex-WECX 800, which was the ex-CEBX 800) was not old enough to be banned from interchange service.

Never used in revenue service and also stricken from Kasgro's current fleet roster is KRL 3601 (ex-WECX 801), which was built for Westinghouse in 2012 and reacquired by Kasgro 2019.

More than likely, the costs associated with owning and maintaining these special-service cars was greater than the revenue they could actually generate.

According to what I have read online, KRL 3600 (ex-WECX 800, which was the ex-CEBX 800) made 28 revenue moves in 38-years.

On the topic of AAR and FRA 50-year service limits:

Based upon information found in Analyzing rail-car values in the era of longer service life - by Toby Kolstad"

There has been some talk about raising the AAR and FRA railway car service limits from 50 years to 65 years.

Pundits argue that modern railway cars are better maintained, are designed for much higher performance standards, and are loaded with greater care.

While there are some cars that were manufactured before 1980 that have already been approved for an extended 65-year service life, the process of garnering such an approval is quite expensive.

As the racks on autorack cars are not deemed to be an integral part of the flatcar that they are attached to, with shorter service lives than the flatcars they are mounted to, the justification for extending the service life approval for autorack cars to 65-years was the replacement costs for newer rack designs that could last more than 25 years.

[pmpexpress]

Why was it scrapped?

Wondering why it wasn't donated to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, or the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis?

[peteski]

I'm glad I've asked. Thanks guys!  This has developed into a source of interesting information.

[jpwisc]

Here’s a couple more shots I took the last day this car was together. I think some of the 125T trucks went to the museum in Boulder City, but I haven’t verified that yet.
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[bbunge]

Wondering why it wasn't donated to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, or the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis?

Most museums these days have limited space left.  A massive artifact like this would be quite the project, both space wise as well as transportation to the museum.

Bob