BNSF Trough Train

[dcushing]

i know they were a dismal failure, but has anyone considered making a trough train set that could be run on the upcoming Marias Pass route?

Duncan

[NDORFN]

What's a Trough Train?

[buzz456]

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetai ... toID=16979

http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=625


BNSF Trough Train

Postby TB Diamond » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:36 pm
This had to be the ultimate in bottom dump coal hopper trains. It was brought forth by the BNSF back in the 1990s and consisted of 19-20 articulated aluminum hopper cars, each over two-hundred feet in length. The cars featured automatic bottom dumping doors. Was called out of the Gillette Loading Pool one day to load a test train consisting of three or four of these cars. We loaded it at Jacobs Ranch Mine and it took quite some time to do so. The mine loadout facility was simply not geared to load cars of such length.
Saw this train depart one of the mines. It grossed about 20,000 tons and had three SD70MAC units on the point and two more shoving on the rear. Quite a sight.

[buzz456]

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/imag ... izZRVkx-hw

[NDORFN]

Those things are awesome. Why did it fail?

[buzz456]

I think the articulation got ate up by the coal dust as I recall. It was a maintenance issue.

[NDORFN]

Bugger. I used to think that by 2000, pretty much all rail freight traffic would be articulated block trains. I was very wrong.