Weekend Challenge #1 - Freight Loads!

[Mark W]

Now that the 90 Day Challenge is well underway, let's take a quick break and have a side challenge! The topic: Freight Loads!

I will be offering two prizes to participants of this challenge.  One winner will be selected by popular vote, the other by me based on some simple criteria below.  The prize will be a Freight Detail set from CG N Scale, including 10 IBCs and 10 Pallets. 

Since one weekend is such a short time for this challenge, I'm going to try something a little different too.  You can either build a new model, share an old model, describe a future model, or even share a witness account of a prototype freight load that inspired some type of modeling.  Photos are optional, but highly encouraged (especially for that popular vote).  To enter, simply post your entry to this thread.

Entries will be accepted through Sunday night, and a poll for popular vote will be posted Monday. 
For my selection, a a hefty bias will be given to those who are able to build a new model for this challenge.  I also love unique items or clever engineering.  Lastly, I'll be looking for excitement and whether anything was taught or learned. 

If you have any questions, just ask.  This may be just as much an experiment as it is a challenge, but if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong!

Let the trains begin!

[Dave V]

I was going to do a lumber load for flatcars but then realized that all of my gondola cars need coal loads!  Or at least some of them do...I should have some empties as well.

I have some high-powered magnets and am thinking about adding them to each load so they can be removed very easily.

[wm3798]

I have a raft of different gondola loads I've made over the years, and I'll be out of town this weekend, so I'll need to rummage through my photos to decide which one is worthy of the challenge to reprise...

[wm3798]

This is one of my favorites.  MTL gondola with a rebar load.  It's an oldie but a goodie.



I made the bundles of rebar by stripping some stranded wire and bundling it and setting it up on dunnage.  Painted it a semi rusty gunmetal color.  It's bonded together as a unit that can be lifted out.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with!
Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was going to do a lumber load for flatcars but then realized that all of my gondola cars need coal loads!  Or at least some of them do...I should have some empties as well.

I have some high-powered magnets and am thinking about adding them to each load so they can be removed very easily.

Removable is absolutely the way to go man.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This is one of my favorites.  MTL gondola with a rebar load.  It's an oldie but a goodie.



I made the bundles of rebar by stripping some stranded wire and bundling it and setting it up on dunnage.  Painted it a semi rusty gunmetal color.  It's bonded together as a unit that can be lifted out.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with!
Lee

Oh damn. I need to do that now.

[bbussey]

Whipped this up recently.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[wazzou]

This one was done years and years ago when I still intended to model post BN Merger.  I still have the car though.

[wm3798]

Oh damn. I need to do that now.

In your era, rebar is shipped on long flat cars with special racks on them.  Do a little homework first.  Might need to find a lighter weight solution to look good and not rock the boat too much...

L

[Dave V]

I seem to recall Ed having made a "load" from black Play-Doh that would be competitive...   

[Ike the BN Freak]

Currently I'm gathering parts and cars to do a couple 60' Boeing 737 fuselage sections

[Kentuckian]

Lee,

That is a beautiful rebar load but you may want to remove some of the dunnage; I believe the gon is too full. If the density of steel is around 490 lb/ft^3 and the volume of a 50’ gon is around 1500 ft^3 then the gon could hold 735,000 lbs of steel with no voids. If we subtract a quarter of the volume for voids (which I think is generous) we are still around 184,000 lbs.

Of course, this would not be the first time my engineering math didn’t agree with an architect’s. 

[wm3798]

It's 5/8" so the load is taller
Or I could blame the ride height of the MT car?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

In your era, rebar is shipped on long flat cars with special racks on them.  Do a little homework first.  Might need to find a lighter weight solution to look good and not rock the boat too much...

L

Haha, which era? lol

[pdx1955]

Lee,

That is a beautiful rebar load but you may want to remove some of the dunnage; I believe the gon is too full. If the density of steel is around 490 lb/ft^3 and the volume of a 50’ gon is around 1500 ft^3 then the gon could hold 735,000 lbs of steel with no voids. If we subtract a quarter of the volume for voids (which I think is generous) we are still around 184,000 lbs.

Of course, this would not be the first time my engineering math didn’t agree with an architect’s. 

Is that a 100 ton car? Otherwise if its a 70 tonner, it's considerably overloaded and it eventually will end up in the dead line with a broken center sill or look like Malcolm Furlow worked on it  . I think its real easy to make steel loads that are prototypically too heavy . Generally there is only a single layer of rebar or flat plate or even I-beams on cars. Pipe can be stacked up as its mostly air.