Transload Facilities

[Keith Canada]

I visited this facility yesterday (Saturday) on a railtour: http://www.traxxside.com/ Although selective compression would have to be employed for a model, it might give some ideas for rail-to-road and road-to-rail freight transfer in a relatively compact area.

 

Note the sharp curves, conveyors used to load and unload hopper cars, and indoor loading docks. When I was there, we saw a hopper being unloaded direct to a truck using what looked like a giant vacuum hose!

 

The railway cars are moved around by a Trackmobile; there was an HO model available for less than $100 but it seems to have disappeared off the scene. However, I guess a SW-1000 or SW-1500 switcher could be used instead.

[shortliner]

Keith - I think you mean this http://factorydirecttrains.com/trackmobile.aspx

[dibber25]

Took this shot of a single-track container loading facility from the dome car of the Canadian - somewhere between the end of the Fraser Canyon and New Westminster, I think, but I'm not great on the geography of that area and it was before breakfast! Thought it would be an interesting prototype for a model - shows you don't need to have a vast yard and umpteen tracks, though it does look like the tracks between the siding and the passenger train are entrance/exit lines for the container yard - so maybe not as small as all that.

CHRIS LEIGH

[Keith Canada]

Keith - I think you mean this http://factorydirect...rackmobile.aspx

 

Yes, that's the one but I don't think it's available any more.

[Keith Canada]

Hm-m-mmm....now the Factory Direct web-site says "Preorder for $0.01 down!" so it looks as if a second run is coming. Quite a few different paint-schemes too.