I like the coil cars, but could we also see coils carried in other cars? Like gondolas? Flatcars? Thanks, if this isn't hijacking.
Um, I hate to ask this but: What goes in a coil car? I am guessing rolled sheets of steel? Who generates the loads? - *Steel mills? * Scrap Metal ? Who uses the loads? Thanks!
Nice catch Martyn I have not seen open coils loads yet. I believe that here in the UK we ship steel slab as in the picture below to mainland europe for cold rolling into thin coiled sheet. Then it is shipped back to us! Apparently we do not have rolling mills
It's steel that has been through a rolling mill at a steel plant, where the hot steel will be rolled into a flat sheet and then wound into a coil to transport. They tend to be compact but heavy, hence only a few on a 100t car. Some have lids to keep the weather off as some users will not want the steel to start rusting before it gets to them! Users? Anyone who uses lots of thin steel, vehicle body panel makers, washing machine, etc etc...
Alan, those steel blooms go down to Llanwern in south Wales, I always thought they went there to be rolled/finished, as it ships out covered steel from there (UK covered steel carrier pics tonight then! ) Those long distance Lackenby-Llanwern trains may be finishing as well, Corus is bringing online a new facility at Margam to supply the steel blooms, it'll make the South Wales main line very busy again though...
Why do I have this mental image of giant steel skunks..... Anyhow, here's some covered coil carriers from the UK: International registered soft-top: International registered with sliding hoods:
