Looking for prototype photos of an "idler car"

Just pick a car, any car, it really doesn't matter. In the case of beams, pipe, sheet steel, etc., any empty flat car will do. Schnabel and odd-ball extra heavy loads on cars, may require extra cars for braking purposes. These are usually empty cars of any type that just happen to be handy. The only things that I can remember having a specific "idler" car would be cranes such as "Big Hooks" or "Locomotive cranes" (smaller than Big Hooks and can power themselves along the rails when needed). Loaded Haz-mat cars need to be the sixth car from the engines or occupied caboose and cannot be next to a car that has a shiftable load (flat car without bulkhead ends or gondolas with load above the ends of the car). Empty Haz-mat cars just need to be the second car from the engine or cab.

When I worked as a stevedore on the docks in Houston, in the 70s, we had many loads of large, oversized refinery towers and drums delivered by rail.  They always had "idler" cars fore and aft of the cars carrying the load.  Also, should the load be long enough, and many exceeded 100' - 150' length, there had to be "idler" cars also within/between the support cars that had the necessary bolsters on them to carry the load.  So, as stated above, depending upon the type of consist involved, "idler" cars may be on either end of the "hazard" or special load, and/or may be also placed in between separate load cars to couple together the specific loaded cars in consist.  Flats are very common for this purpose, but that depends upon the type and classification of the load car requiring it.

Jesse   TCA

Google the term "railroad idler car" then hit "images."

You also see idler cars between the locomotive and hot steel loads in steel mills.  The hot loads could be anything - slag cars, hot metal (torpedo or bottle) cars, or ingot cars.  I think I might have a photo somewhere of a Weirton Steel switcher with an idler car between it and some ingot buggies.  The idler is a flat car with an open roof on it - kinda looks like a covered porch.

Texastrain and Big Jim are correct - typically idlers are flatcars or any available car that can be pressed into service for this purpose.

George  

SP had a one truck flat for idleing.  It was taken off a retired Harriman passenger car.

Lots of idlers on this car.

I frequently see solid trains of tank cars - I think for oil - with a single covered hopper at each end separating the tankers from the engines pulling/pushing. This is on BNSF.

It can be pretty much any kind of car depending on need. For car floats, flat cars are great because of low weight and good visibility. For long loads, I've seen flat cars, drop-end gondolas, and even regular gondolas used. When they moved 4014 from the LA Fairgrounds, the train had 10 loaded 2-bay covered hoppers (they happened to be sitting in the Colton Yard), but their function was to provide extra braking because 4014 didn't have functioning service brakes. They ran a red air hose across it to complete the train air to the units behind. Like I said, whatever suits the requirements for the job.

There's a switch job out in San Bernardino where they drop a tank car at a roofing supply company. It's a "push job" so they require a platform for the conductor to ride on, so whatever is lying around that has a stable platform gets tossed onto the train behind the tank car, then cut loose past the spur so they can switch out the tank car(s).

Big Jim posted:

 Loaded Haz-mat cars need to be the sixth car from the engines or occupied caboose...

I've heard/read this before, and wonder how loaded crude oil or ethanol trains came to have only one idler on each end.

Given their penchant for getting all "explodey" in a derailment, is crude/ethanol considered a lesser kind of 'hazmat' than some even nastier stuff typically shipped in less-than-unit-train quantities?

---PCJ

RailRide posted:

Big Jim posted:

 Loaded Haz-mat cars need to be the sixth car from the engines or occupied caboose...

I've heard/read this before, and wonder how loaded crude oil or ethanol trains came to have only one idler on each end.

Given their penchant for getting all "explodey" in a derailment, is crude/ethanol considered a lesser kind of 'hazmat' than some even nastier stuff typically shipped in less-than-unit-train quantities?

---PCJ

So,,,,,where would you propose to place the "buffer cars", i.e. idler cars?

Last week I saw the BNSF local passing through Pacific, Mo.  It consisted of three GP-somethings, one Wisconsin Central boxcar, and five tankers.  I was to slow to grab a picture but at least its a description. 

Nathan

RailRide posted:

Big Jim posted:

 Loaded Haz-mat cars need to be the sixth car from the engines or occupied caboose...

I've heard/read this before, and wonder how loaded crude oil or ethanol trains came to have only one idler on each end.

Given their penchant for getting all "explodey" in a derailment, is crude/ethanol considered a lesser kind of 'hazmat' than some even nastier stuff typically shipped in less-than-unit-train quantities?

---PCJ

There are always exceptions   to the rules when it comes to unit trains.

RailRide posted:

Big Jim posted:

 Loaded Haz-mat cars need to be the sixth car from the engines or occupied caboose...

I've heard/read this before, and wonder how loaded crude oil or ethanol trains came to have only one idler on each end.

Given their penchant for getting all "explodey" in a derailment, is crude/ethanol considered a lesser kind of 'hazmat' than some even nastier stuff typically shipped in less-than-unit-train quantities?

---PCJ

I guess Haz-mat isn't quite the right word as it encompasses everything. But, yes, there are some things that don't have to be buried as far as most dangerous stuff. Also, being in a unit train rather than a mixed freight makes a difference too.

This is an ethanol train which was parked in Pottstown last year. Note the markings on the buffer car indicating dedicated service. The typical configuration for these trains is engines, buffer car, tank cars, trailing buffer car.

Chris

LVHR

Another reason for "buffer" cars is to prevent incompatibles from being coupled to each other. Imagine if a tank car full of chlorine was coupled to a tank car full of ammonia. If the two cars leaked into a common puddle you get instant toxic gas cloud. Having them 50 feet apart reduces that risk substantially. In a major derailment, though, all bets are off.

Log trains would sometimes run an empty car next to the caboose, presumably for safety.

In steam days the LIRR had a few old flat cars dedicated to float service, used to push the cars onto the float and keep the weight of the engine off the movable deck. Thought I had a photo but can't find it but hers a view of the bridges at LIC.

Scotie

In this video from a week ago they used about 10 passenger cars as idlers/braking cars to bring a dead  drgw k37 493 back to Durango for shipment to the Colorado RR museum in Golden CO

https://youtu.be/ydVtvzfm3-Y

pro hobby posted:

Looking for prototype photos of an "idler car"  Also often designated as "cover" cars or "buffer" cars.

An idler car is an empty car, on which no part of a load rests, that is used in transporting freight of unusual length or excessive weight for the safe transportation or protection of lading. Often seen with Schnabel movements. As a "cover" car the FRA requires at least one non hazardous car between the locomotive and any hazardous loaded car.

Note: This information was provided by an article in "Trains" magazine.

I'd say an idler car and a cover or buffer car aren't the same thing, exactly. Idler cars are often flatcars, used because a load sticks out beyond the end of a car, or as a spacer so that an engine can switch say a car float without the weight of the engine being on the car float (potentially destabilizing it). A buffer - at least in recent years - is normally an old covered hopper filled with rock, sand or gravel for weight, that separates tank cars from an engine. Modern tank car trains often have a buffer car at each end, since they often have a couple of engines on one end and one pushing on the other end.

Check out the background locomotive in this photo:

http://johnsmurrayphotography....com/photo100025.html

That's an idler car attached to the ingot buggy.

George

When I lived in Charlotte, there was a bridge over the highway heading towards Spartanburg that had a weight restriction. The remnants of the Southern RR had a job over that bridge and had one engine, and a spacer car with MU Cables through it to connect to the second engine so they would not stress the weight limit of the short bridge with two power units back to back. I have a picture of this somewhere.

Paul

Last car of a tank car unit train.  Pulled by a BNSF six axle unit with a blue six axle and a box car buffer car.  Then umpteen tank cars and this hopper car at the rear.  John in Lansing, ILL

Here's a couple photos from Michigan railroad operations...Ann Arbor, C&O.  The idlers are flats...

Nothing fancy.  Nothing special.  Home-grown.  

Probably great targets and rest-stops for seagulls.

KD

Well, I was looking for a photo of the Alaska Railroad loading/unloading operations at the Whittier barge docks. (none found) They keep the engines off of the ramp and use a flat car as the idler typically. You could see some of this action in various Discovery episodes of the Alaska Railroad show. The other side of the shipping is in Vancouver or Seattle. AAR has an office in Seattle to work with the barge companies.

Here is a link to webcams for the Alaska Marine Lines operations at Whittier and Seattle.

Ok, I found a video on John's Alaska Railroad website. You don't see the engine but you can see the idler car(flat) at the start of video

Scotie posted:

In steam days the LIRR had a few old flat cars dedicated to float service, used to push the cars onto the float and keep the weight of the engine off the movable deck. Thought I had a photo but can't find it but hers a view of the bridges at LIC.

Scotie

Here is a shot of the LIRR car

Regular flat cars between over-length loads. Seen at Albany Oregon 2013.