GATX Rail Cars - 2007

Prof. Robert B. Laughlin
Department of Physics
Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305

http://www.gatx.com/rail/equipment_types_specs/browse_by_equipment_types.asp
(Copied 11 Jul 09)



Acid Cars

Aggregate Gondolas

Air-Assisted
Covered Hoppers

Autoracks

Box Cars

Coal Cars -
Gondolas

Coal Cars -
Open Top Hoppers

General Service
Tank Cars

Gravity Discharge
Covered Hoppers

Intermodal Cars

Large Cube
Gondolas

Locomotives

Mill Gondolas

Non-Intermodal Flatcars

Open Top
Aggregate Hoppers

Plastic
Pellet Cars

Pressure Cars

TankTrain™
System

Acid Cars

Specially constructed cars feature high-bake epoxy linings, acid resistant coatings, and special acid fittings and unloading systems, so they can safely transport a variety of acids.

Commodities: Sulfuric acid, oleum, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, ferric chloride and hydrofluosilicic acid.

Key Features & Benefits: Product-specific linings and coatings are specially selected to protect tank shell integrity and product purity. Many cars are fitted with loading and unloading devices on a single nozzle, protecting workers and the environment. Plus, exterior paint on cars is designed to withstand contact with corrosive commodities.

Key Questions:


Aggregate Gondolas

Flat-bottom 2,600 cubic foot cars without internal bracing and equipped with reinforced top chords.

Commodities: Industrial minerals, crushed rock, gravel and sand.

Key Features & Benefits: Lack of internal bracing allows for top unloading without damaging car; reinforced top chords allow machines to unload cars via back hoe. Flat car bottoms allow for thorough removal of lading.

Key Questions:


Air-Assisted Covered Hoppers

Our air-assisted covered hopper cars are designed for use when gravity is not enough to unload fine, dry bulk commodities. Types include the Airslide, POWER-FLO, and POWER-FLO II cars.

Commodities: Flour, sugar, starch, talc, lime and other dry chemicals.

Key Features & Benefits: Designed to handle maximum commodity loads for improved costs. Weather-tight hatches and unloading mechanisms protect product purity. Designed and configured for quick, safe loading and unloading.

Key Questions:


Autoracks

Flatcars specifically equipped with an enclosed multilevel structure for transporting finished vehicles. Capacities range from 10 large sports utility vehicles or vans using bi-level equipment to 18 compact automobiles using tri-level racks.

Commodities: Automobiles and trucks.

Key Features & Benefits: Bi-level and tri-level autotracks provide a secure and efficient means of transporting new vehicles.

Key Questions:


Box Cars

Box Cars come in 50, 60 and 86-foot lengths with loading capacities ranging from 70-105 tons.

Commodities: Paper products, lumber and forest products, canned goods, food products.

Key Features & Benefits: Single or double doors with plug or sliding configuration, cushioned or non-cushioned under-frames, insulated or non-insulated interiors. Cars may be equipped with various interior loading devices such as belt-rails or moveable bulkheads to secure loads.

Key Questions:


Coal Cars - Gondolas

Rotary dump capability. Steel or aluminum bodied. High-capacity cars ranging from 3800 cubic feet to over 4400 cubic feet.

Commodities: Coal, petroleum coke.

Key Features & Benefits: Flat bottom, twin-tub, or single-tub cars are available. Cars sized for optimal capacity for various product densities.

Key Questions:


Coal Cars - Open Top Hoppers

Rotary and non-rotary dump capability, steel or aluminum bodied, with up to a 120-ton capacity. The eastern coal car market is served by steel-bodied 3,300-3,800 cubic-foot cars; the western coal car market is served with aluminum-bodied hopper cars of 4,000-4,400 cubic feet.

Commodities: Coal, petroleum coke.

Key Features & Benefits: Automatic discharge or manual discharge gates with three, four or five pocket hopper configurations available. 263,000 lbs. to 286,000 lbs. gross weight.

Key Questions:


General Service Tank Cars

GATX Rail offers about 50 configurations of general service tank cars for liquid commodities. Options include steam coils, insulation, linings and valves, and capacities that range from 8000 to 33,000 gallons.

Commodities: Chemicals, clay slurry, caustic soda, corn syrup and other foods, and petroleum.

Key Features & Benefits: Patented "Million Mile" draft sill means a longer life with less out-of -service time for maintenance. Plus, they're versatile - featuring a variety of gauging devices, valves and safety devices as needed to ensure the safe transportation of each commodity.

Key Questions:


Gravity Discharge Covered Hoppers

Car sizes range from 3000 cubic feet for denser commodities such as cement, to 4750 and 5200 cubic feet for lighter commodities such as grains and dry chemicals. Various gate and lining options are also available including combination gravity/pneumatic gates based on product requirements.

Commodities: Cement, roofing granules, sand, aggregates, grain, grain products, fertilizers, dry chemicals.

Key Features and Benefits: Can maximize transport to a 286,000-lb. rail limit. Lining, discharge gate and hatch flexibility to meet your specific needs.

Key Questions:


Intermodal Cars

Multiple car configurations including 3- or 5-platform double-stack well cars and single-stack COFC spine cars used in the transportation of domestic and international ISO containers, as well as 4-position non-articulated COFC flat cars and 6-position articulated spine cars designed to handle waste containers.

Commodities: Domestic, international, and solid waste containers.

Key Features & Benefits: Multi-platform articulated cars greatly enhance ride quality due to a reduction in train slack action, thus reducing lading damage and freight claims. Reduction of total train length and freight car tare weights when using articulated equipment allows intermodal freight service to compete with over-the-road trucking.

Key Questions:


Large Cube Gondolas

Large gondolas 7000-8000 cubic feet, designed for transporting low density dry-bulk commodities.

Commodities: Woodchips for paper products, lightweight scrap metal, construction & demolition (C&D) debris as well as municipal solid waste.

Key Features & Benefits: Cars are unloaded using a rotary dumper or overhead clam shell crane. Ideal for bulk products that may not pass through the pocket doors of an open top hopper car. Car offers a greater cubic capacity for light bulk materials that would ordinarily "cube out" in an open top hopper before "weighing out."

Key Questions:


Mill Gondolas

Cars range from 48' to 65' long, are equipped with 5'6" sides and are designed to accommodate 70 to 109 tons subject to 286K lbs. gross weight on rail.

Commodities: Iron and steel scrap, steel ingots, coiled steel, sheet steel, pipes and other steel products.

Key Features & Benefits: Primarily serves the steel industry. Able to maximize loading up to a 286,000 lb. rail limit. Some are equipped with cross bars, load restraining devices or wooden troughs for special purpose handling.

Key Questions:


Non-Intermodal Flatcars

70-100-ton, with gross rail capacity of 286,000 lbs., with or without bulkheads.

Commodities: Lumber, pulpwood and similar building products, waste services.

Key Features and Benefits: Centerbeam flatcars have a beam down the center of the car that allows products to be loaded from either side. Centerbeam makes product securement convenient. Lightweight design allows for heavier loading. Some fitted with Holland locks and end-of-car cushioning when used in waste service.

Key Questions:


Open Top Aggregate Hoppers

44' long, three-pocket, 2580-2880 cubic foot capacity cars with an estimated load limit of 227,600 lbs., based on 286,000 lb. GRL. Both air-operated and manual versions are available.

Commodities: Industrial minerals, crushed rock, gravel and sand.

Key Features and Benefits: High capacity and short overall length.

Key Questions:


Plastic Pellet Cars

A number of lining and gate configurations available to suit your specific plastic pellet grade shipping needs.

Commodities: High density PE, polyvinyl chloride, HDPE, PVC, low density PE, linear low density PE, PET, polypropylene, ABS, polystyrene.

Key Features & Benefits: Able to maximize transport to 286,000-lb. rail limit. Product-specific linings specially selected to protect product purity. A range of capacities designed to economically transport products of varying densities.

Key Questions:


Pressure Cars

Our pressure tank cars are designed to safely transport substances like carbon dioxide, chlorine and liquid petroleum gas. Pressure car capacities range from 17,000 to 33,500 gallons and are available in a variety of insulated and/or thermal protection configurations.

Commodities: Vinyl chloride monomer, anhydrous ammonia, liquefied petroleum gas, propylene.

Key Features & Benefits: All fittings, including valves, gauging devices, and safety relief device are contained in one housing. Plus, tanks are constructed to operate at pressures up to 375 psi.

Key Questions:


TankTrain™ System

An R&D group at GATX once presented their chief engineer with a challenge: Can we develop a quicker way to load and unload bulk liquids? Thus was the GATX TankTrain™ System born.

Commodities: Crude Petroleum Oil, Benzene, Light Fuel Oil, Phosphoric Acid.

Key Features and Benefits: A string of interconnected tank cars with flexible hoses, the TankTrain™ System can quickly load and unload large volumes of liquid commodities. At a rate of 3,000 gallons per minute, that's 1 1/2 hours to load a 5-car string. A 90-car train can load in less than 5 hours.