Intermodal Question, Need Help

Depends on the RR, and depends on what you are counting for. Also depends on whether the 3 pack of wells are articulated or draw-bar type 3 packs. There is not really 1 definite answer because I can tell you how we count them at BNSF, but I also know that the UP does it different.

a single well is one car..a 3 unit well car is counted as one car..a five well car is counted as one car ....every railroad everywhere..same deal...in each case the car in question will carry only one car number . each well will be the number plus a alphabet letter to diiferenciate each unit..got it ? your neighbor in ohio..conrail john

Not true John... not every RR, everywhere. We at BNSF only count a 5 packer of stacks or spine cars as 3 cars on the train list. Number of operative brakes is what determines the car count for the train list .... go to west colton and the UP counts every well or spine as 1... BNSF does NOT

For example: Train Z WSPSBD8 09L

Track list shows 36 lines or 36 car numbers

Train list shows 69 loads 0 empties

So in that 36 car numbers, there are singles, 3 packers, and 5 packers that equal well over 69 individual wells or spines... or flats. Just depends on how the RR does it

if my wife finds out i was wwwrong about something it could be bad for me. thats how we do it . thought it was common ! oops...  thanks laidoff. ive seen your layout on forum videos. very nice..john

Well it is right for your RR...so you she's not missing anything important.

Our way is so confusing as we have to memorize "car kinds"... ie: QU, QO, QM, QV, QW etc etc. That tells us how many cars it counts as. I still cant remember them all. Try explaining that to new hires.

Thanks for the kind words Johnm

Just for your entertainment:

3rd column in from the left is car "KIND" QU =1, QV = 3, QW = 3 draw bars... all these are stacks

QM = 3 packer spine, QO = 5 packer spine, there is also a Q? For single flat and Q? For twin drawbar flats.

36 car numbers, 69 loaded cars but if you add up the car kinds, its 102 wells or spines

Cram all that useless info in your head lol

If the hot box detector requires an inspection, I can see were this could get confusing. "Check out 35 car behind the units, East side trailing axel." 

 

Brakeman counting cars.... Geez! is that one or 5 cars.

detectors count axles not cars. you start with the first and start walking..message to laidoff  thought our place was tmi !! john

As stated in the previous post by John, the detectors count axles, and immediately sound a warning over the radio that a "Defect Detected" has occurred. After the whole train passes, the detector will then announce, over the radio, which axle from the headend and which side the defect is located. The Dispatcher is also notified, so disposition of the reported defect must be explained, i.e. train stopped in order to inspect, etc..

The actual train list ( work order, wheel, or whatever you call it) shows the axel count as well. So once you get the axel #, you look at your work order to see what car to start looking at and how far you gotta walk back.

laidoff...i will look more closely at my w.o. tomorow and see if the axle count is broke down like yours is. That would make to much sense! Its easy to lose count when its 200 axels back..then i have to rely on my sense of smell..lol

Yes How water I was just  being silly. We had to also inspect 2 cars ahead and behind the reported defect. We also had a Tempo stick that was used to check out the temp of the axel  however your hand was a good indicator.  (walk back?? no getting off on the fly and having the train pull by and counting axles and then stopping the train using the radio?)

 

Fun at night in the pitch black.

   NS requires you to also notify the Wayside Detector Help desk via. radio when a defect is announced.

 

 Wayside will sometimes come on the radio and notify you of a car starting to get warm after passing a detector,although it may not have announced a hot box.

what was the original question ?