Train Sim World “CSX Heavy Haul” will feature a variety of contemporary freight rolling stock perfect for service on Sand Patch Grade!
Fabulous Sand Patch Grade is a busy steel artery that helps transport millions of tons of freight per year – and Train Sim World’s upcoming “CSX Heavy Haul” edition of Sand Patch will feature six types of contemporary freight equipment regularly operated on the route to tote a wide variety of tonnage and commodities.
Let’s take a first look at the modern freight equipment included in “CSX Heavy Haul”:
BethGon II® Coal Gondola:
Over its history, nothing has been more synonymous with Sand Patch Grade than hauling coal tonnage. In 1986, Johnstown America (now FreightCar America) introduced the aluminum-bodied BethGon tub gondola which quickly became a standard for coal-hauling across much of North America. In 2001, the enhanced BethGon II was introduced and by 2006, more than 100,000 aluminum-bodied cars had been constructed. CSX operates an expansive fleet of tub gons which feature maximum operating weights up to 286,000 pounds.
Husky Stack® 53-foot Container Car:
Perhaps nothing is more representative of today’s golden age of American freight railroading – nor more impressive – than a mile-long, towering intermodal stack train. First introduced in the late 1970s, stack cars have grown progressively longer and heavier and have been built in a variety of configurations. The 53-foot-well Husky Stack built by the Greenbrier Companies is a high-capacity, single-unit well car that carries containers ranging from 20- to 53-feet long in its well and can hold containers from 40- to 53-feet long in the top position.
89-foot Bi-Level Auto Rack:
Beginning in the 1960s, auto racks helped the railroads recapture a lion’s share of the transportation of new automobiles and the massive cars soon became a staple of American freight railroading. Originally open-sided, the auto racks have evolved into fully enclosed cars (to protect their contents) that stretch 89-feet in length and have been constructed in bi-level, tri-level, and convertible variants by a number of car builders. A CSX Bi-Level auto rack as constructed by TrinityRail will soon be in service on the Train Sim World Sand Patch Grade route.
5201-Cubic-Foot Covered Hopper:
Covered hoppers made their first appearance on U. S. railroads in the early 1930s and have evolved into a primary workhorse of contemporary railroading. Today, in various sizes and configurations, covered hoppers carry everything from sand and cement to potash, grain, corn, and many other bulk commodities. As constructed by TrinityRail, the 5201-cubic-foot covered hopper is versatile car especially suited to carting agricultural products and dry chemicals.
30,500-Gallon Tank Car:
Much like covered hoppers for dry commodities, tank cars represent a fundamental type of railroad equipment today for moving a diverse range of liquid loadings. In various sizes and in pressurized, non-pressurized, and insulated variants, tank cars carry contents ranging from crude oil to chemicals to food products. As constructed by the Greenbrier Companies and other manufacturers, the 30,500-gallon tank car is representative of a general-purpose tank car and often carries ethanol and similar liquid commodities.
50-foot Plate C Boxcar:
During the first century of American railroading, the boxcar was railroading’s maid-of-all-work, carrying anything from LCL (less-than-carload) traffic to lumber and manufactured products and grain. Specialized rail equipment began replacing the ubiquitous boxcar as early as the 1960s, but through the decades, the boxcar has remained an important part of the railroad scene. Through railroading’s long history, boxcars have ranged from the tiny wooden cars of the 19th century all the way to 86-foot-long auto-parts-carrying giants. Among the most common type of boxcar in service since the 1970s has been the “Plate C” 50-foot boxcar, which has been constructed by numerous manufacturers, and a versatile 50-footer in CSX livery will be included with the Sand Patch Grade route.
Train Sim World and “CSX Heavy Haul” will feature these six modern and widely used types of freight equipment which – together with potent GE AC4400CW and EMD SD40-2 and GP38-2 diesels – will be ready to tote a variety of tonnage up and over famed Sand Patch Grade!
- Article Courtesy of Gary Dolzall