Garbage gondola unloading

How are the garbage gondola's unloaded?

i'm guessing they get tipped

I'm pretty sure thats not the prefered method.

Still a good question... I don't think structurally these cars were ever intended to be tipped... there aren't rotating couplers and no apparent reinforcing members like the coal or ore gondolas have. A fair number of these originally were just modified boxcars and the like.

From what I have heard they remove the debris with a backhoe.

RichM wrote:Still a good question... I don't think structurally these cars were ever intended to be tipped... there aren't rotating couplers and no apparent reinforcing members like the coal or ore gondolas have. A fair number of these originally were just modified boxcars and the like.

i dont see to many converted box cars. But lots and lots of woodchip cars and ex coal hoppers.

washingtonsecondary wrote:I'm pretty sure thats not the prefered method.

Thats hysterical

Dub, I think it's a rag-tag collection of a lot of cars at the end of their service life. Whatever their previous service, I think all that matters now is that the bearings roll and the brakes work. I just believe there's no way that collection of junk can be rotated/tilted.

High Iron Photography wrote:http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=112668

Mr. DiSalvo. That was a pisser. I laughed loudly. Thank you for your humor.

Somehow I knew what the picture was going to be before I opened it!!!

So do we think they use a backhoe or such to unload them??

I know that some cars have rotary couplers. Mainly the thrall gondolas. The SOUTHERN and NS cars open up on the ends.

Back when the operation was new was when you saw a few of the ex boxcar converts and the old bangor and arrostock (spelling?) woodchip hoppers.

High Iron Photography wrote:http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=112668

Yeah, and those aren't gondolas, either...................

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:Yeah, and those aren't gondolas, either...................

Say What?
Aren't those 'Bathtub' gondola, originally used for coal/mineral hauling.
And even if they were woodchip cars originally, they'd still meet the definition of Gondola, wouldn't they?

Anyway, from this site: http://www.wastebyrail.com/successstories.asp
The small picture in the left border gives us one vote for backhoe unloading (backhoe next to gondola, not straddling it like in some installations).
This may mean a Bobcat is loaded in to finish unloading (or, even suckier, some guys with shovels - 'paging Mike Rowe, Mr Mike Rowe...').