How Coal Trains are Loaded - Loading a Coal Train on the Ex. C&O Cabin Creek SD at Leewood, WV

[@MrWizard209]

I move my charcoal bag the wrong way and create a cloud of dust that blocks out the sun. The fact that there is zero cloud from this machine is crazy.

[@falconerd343]

Removing dust is one of the reasons coal is washed before shipment.

[@johnanderson5325]

The coal is washed before it is loaded to help keep down the dust. Plus it removes anything that is not coal.

[@laudieveverka7021]

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[@nicholai40]

Yeah, they wash it to prevent explosions as well.

[@Mrright87]

utilities have specifications when it comes to coal storage and burning.. Such as High BTU low ash with mid to low moisture per pound. Moisture eliminates dust which is prone to spontaneous combustion

[@ep61611]

In my 66 years of walking this earth, I never really put too much thought into this kind of thing. Fascinating in its simplicity. But after a couple of years doing it, I'd probably be bored out of my tree.

[@truebluebluetick]

Couple years????? Try couple hours

[@ep61611]

@@truebluebluetick - Sounds like you have a restless spirit. I prefer to keep the jobs I get - especially well-paying jobs.

[@truebluebluetick]

@@ep61611 haha farmer, drive tractors and combines for a living and it made me think of any time I get to run something new it’s all exciting to start and it wears off pretty fast.

[@BlackMan614]

It's all automated. From the locomotives w/ a special device which allows them to go slow, to the load-out. It's called flood loading.

[@kevinharris1392]

Got to be some fast moving conveyor belts bringing coal to the load out in order to fill a hopper car that fast. We see them all the time running on the mainline,few get to see where a coal train begins it's journey. Excellent footage, excellent.

[@RivannaRailfan]

Thank you, it was really fun to load a coal train!

[@turtle1897]

Most likely it’s gravity flow

[@wallytimmins356]

@@turtle1897 But conveyor belts to get it to the gravity drop , I would think.

[@simmywilliams4424]

@@wallytimmins356 probably has a conveyor filling an overhead bin, which then gravity flows to the car

[@turtle1897]

@@wallytimmins356 so Wally you have never been to a mill before huh? That’s obvious

[@geraldjones8925]

My Father hauled coal for residential and business use. He would pull up to the load master with two to four fifths of Ky Bourbon. The operator would break the train ( disconnect ) and push the cars back with a bull dozer. My Father would then drive onto the tracks between the cars for a load. Once full, we'd pull out and drive around the scale house. Minus four fifths but hauling 14 tons of blue gem coal.

[@u2bear377]

Do I get it right, that was actually _stealing_ coal?

[@Trainzfan21century]

Trading booze for off-the-books coal? Your dad's a G

[@Amtjohn5150]

Cool process to watch, never knew how it was done. 2003-2006 I worked as a Machinist for UPRR at the Denver North Yard. Majority of freight that passed through was coal coming from the mountain mines usually with 6 locomotives (2 ea front, middle, and rear) for dynamic braking down the hills. Once the consists are parked in the yard hostlers would break up the consist to remove 2 or 3 locomotives that were routed to the fuel track for fueling, add sand, and check/ add oil. The train would be reassembled, air connections made and air tested so it was ready for the next crew to pull the load to a power plant to unload. Usually, only 3 locomotives were needed to pull the load once East or North since the terrain was relatively flat. If the train didn't build pressure in the brake pipe then we had to walk the length of the train to find and correct the air leak. Sometimes it was necessary to have a Carman come out to fix the problem. Also had to set up the DP (distributed power- a way of remotely controlling locomotives from the lead cab so they all worked in unison.) Was a good job until the amount of coal burning was cut way back due to large pollution emissions, which in turn forced UP to close the Denver diesel house maint. facility. Was a great 3 years working there, no regrets and a great learning experience.

[@proggravezilla4175]

Coal-trains? What coal-trains? I thought the Misleadia has been telling us progressivism's marvelous judgment has turned-off the coal-industry, for climate-lunacy's CommonGood.

[@FlyBikes089]

Wow great story and, thank you bud! 👍🙏

[@nathanjoerndt5021]

I have a question!! how much coal is loaded into the cars?? and is it per day, week month, year???

[@robingilmore1444]

Goofy old man that I am, I get great enjoyment outa these movies! Thanks man.

[@u686st7]

I watched the loading process from over the shoulder of a loadout operator while on a tour about 20 years ago. There's an art to it, constantly tweaking the chute.

[@todds4101]

I have to say this is probably one of the most fascinating videos I've ever seen. Amazing how quickly that coal flows down that loader chute. Very interesting video!!!

[@Redneckmfg]

I have to agree with you for sure.... I watched the entire video as if to make sure each car was filled ??? LOL

[@michaelhudecek2778]

Me too!!

[@GWRProductions-kg9pt]

hardly call a minute quick

[@mitchs323]

If this is the loadout I'm thinking about, the coal comes out of a silo on the hill across the road from the loadout. The coal comes across the road on a conveyor belt to the top of the loadout where it is weighed by a scale at the top of the loadout, then it drops to a holding bin from which it is then dumped into the hopper car. I worked a couple of years for a company that treats the coal to keep it from freezing in the cars. I worked about a dozen loadouts in southern West Virginia.

[@RivannaRailfan]

Yes, sounds like Leewood, WV.

[@mitchs323]

@@RivannaRailfan I treated trains there a few times, one of the nicer loadouts

[@williscunningham3109]

So this is why those cars of coal be steaming in the winter...cool

[@michaelprosperity3420]

Thanks for the explanation. I was wondering how the process worked before dropping into the cars.

[@ericcrockett479]

Yes, samples has the silos up on the bank

[@colvinator1611]

Great visual reminder for me. I went to Walton Colliery ( Yorkshire UK ) 60 years ago when I left school. There were still all timber coal faces there ( 365 yards long and 20 inches high ). It's great to see one of God's great resources going into those cars. Thanks a lot, Colin.

[@edwardhogan1877]

Maybe the lord would prefer it left in the. ground?

[@colvinator1611]

@@edwardhogan1877 Not at all Edward. It's there for us to use and manage wisely.

[@michaelprosperity3420]

We need coal for all the electric cars. LOL

[@michaelkennedy2057]

Just satisfying seeing American greatness at work. I love it.

[@googoo-gjoob]

nifty.... thanks for the multiple viewpoints

[@1marlojenkins125]

I loaded a many Coal trains out of FOLA Mine in West Virginia back in 2010.

[@Gonte88]

Really nice documentation, awesome work with all the angles!

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Thank you

[@marcgoff7881]

I was a contractor for many years in West Virginia and observed many rail cars being loaded with coal. It would be very rare for a locomotive to be used to move the cars in position for loading. Typically the cars would be pushed up a grade past the loading facility and left there by the railroad. The coal company employees at there leisure would release the hand brake on the rail cars to slowly allow the cars to move down to the loading facility. Once there a winch cable would be attached to the lead car and the winch would slowly let out cable and allow the cars to move in position for loading.

[@krakenwoodfloorservicemcma5975]

New locomotives have slow speed control and that works pretty well from what heat. They can set the entire train to roll at .25 mph I think.. maybe even less. I was a locomotive electrician many years but honestly don’t know much about the logistics of track operations. We rarely got to ride on trains.

[@MrThatnativeguy]

@@krakenwoodfloorservicemcma5975 I believe CSX loads coal at 2mph or less

[@krakenwoodfloorservicemcma5975]

@@MrThatnativeguy yeah, they can operate creep control to .10 with air brakes on. If i remember correct. I remember testing the system at .25 or so..

[@davidelswick3309]

Your both are right to different time periods in the old days they called it dropping cars with out the locomotive, when drop cars do it in the creep mode or the cars would run away

[@RadicalRailfanner]

Wow, never seen it in action, great video. Looks real cool

[@RivannaRailfan]

It was awesome to watch/load!

[@RadicalRailfanner]

I would think so!

[@railroad9000]

Those flood loaders are amazing!

[@Alexander-tq5iu]

This was a great video to watch. All the different angles was awesome. Thank you

[@AllanLoveJr]

A lot of people may think it's boring watching call being dropped into a train but to be honest with you these videos are so satisfying it's not even funny great video

[@bobnichols551]

Great job 😊

[@drewrbunn]

I wonder how hard it is for the engineer to maintain a constant 1.18e7r56r miles per hour as his train gets heavier, 100T at a time. Great video.

[@RivannaRailfan]

The newer locomotives have crawl control where they can be set to this speed, here they load at 0.3mph.

[@tilerman]

@@RivannaRailfan Thanks for your reply. I was wondering the same as Drew. Cheers.

[@marcgoff7881]

Not difficult at all because it would be rare indeed for a locomotive to be involved in loading. See my other post for an explanation.

[@michaelspunich7273]

@@marcgoff7881 Apparently not too rare...

[@ericcrockett479]

@marc goff here in WV almost all train loadouts are flood loaders and locomotives spot the train in position then the locomotives pull the train thru the loadout. Here at Leewood the train is broken into 2 sections. There is a passing siding and tail track. The locomotives bring the first cut of cars up, disconnect, use the passing siding to run around to the tail end of the first cut and push them up into the tail track then the locomotes returned to get the second half of the train and bring it up and it is spotted on the passing siding then the locomotives will uncouple and then couple on to the string of cars that were spotted in the tail track and then prepare to start loading. Once those are loaded and pulled through the locomotes will disconnect couple on to the second cut of cars on the passing siding shove those up past the load out into the tail track then feel the second cut of cars. Once both Cuts have been filled they will be coupled together back into one train again

[@lnrailroad3215]

Excellent video! Would love to see more coal train loading videos!!

[@assassinatepsychoputin4151]

seen 1 you've seen them all...

[@hollowpoint45acp]

What else do you need to see?

[@assassinatepsychoputin4151]

@@hollowpoint45acp LOl maybe he's hoping for chunkier bits of coal... Like i said to him.. seen one, you've seen them all.... after all they would be all the same & doing the same thing... he must lead a boring life huh ....

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.

[@RivannaRailfan]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you

[@bronco7035]

That's awesome 👍

[@benchedthatpiece]

This is an awesome video, I loved every minute of it!

[@pointingdog7235]

Interesting to see the load out. Thanks for posting.

[@punchfisttop]

Always wanted to see the actual process! TY!!!!

[@cbolanz1]

This is so cool!

[@RailFanRob]

Awesome footage man!! Happy New Year!

[@spider_hoss]

This is a great video.

[@RivannaRailfan]

Thank you!

[@lozarok]

Great vid - cheers for sharing

[@thomasrobinson8336]

Great Video

[@noonzeeb]

Best video on loading I've seen, well done

[@donalfinn4205]

Great to see this. Really enjoyed it!☘️👍

[@RivannaRailfan]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel]

I've seen this from one angle only, thank you for all the other angles to fill in the gap of knowledge :) very cool indeed!

[@RivannaRailfan]

Thank you!

[@vek679]

I have been loading coal trains for 25years and still don’t get bored I love the challenge. The loading process is different from this the loadout has 5 clam shell doors.

[@DaaYay]

Your a good Man 👍🏼 Salute to you!

[@leeandadaelliott]

I'd have loved to have seen the whole process, From storage pile, to conveyors, to what is used to pull train so slowly.

[@NakedDave100]

I worked at this mine, on the dragline!!

[@metronorthrailfan2244]

This reminds me of what I do in Train Sim World 2. The process here is very similar to how it is in the game

[@1940limited]

You could cover the entire state of WV with solar panels and windmills and it won't generate the energy this train has onboard.

[@stephenrichard5191]

I live up cabin creek when this was running. It's funny they spent all the time and money to rehab old rail and the dump but stopped using it.

[@RivannaRailfan]

They still use it multiple times a day.

[@zouhairsuleiman1453]

That was awesome 👏

[@randymorris8786]

Thanks for answering a long asked question of mine. Peace

[@ssweeps]

My father said his first toy train set ran on coal...

[@brucec954]

Gives me a good idea of what the coal loads should look like for my model railroad, thanks,

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

That's pretty cool. I figured it had to be something similar to this.

[@castercamber]

Coal keep the lights on.

[@cliffcorbitt9494]

I never got to see how that worked as a kid but now that I have seen it on this video I think that's pretty coal man!

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Amazing

[@nooner1228]

Not to be dramatic but this is insane. Awesome video!

[@grisslebear]

The speed & efficiency of rail bulk loading & unloading is fascinating.

[@petecrabtree8746]

It usually.comes from a huge hopper above the line, They were called rapid loading systems in the uk before they closed all the mines.

[@RivannaRailfan]

Yes

[@DK-nv9zu]

That's EV fuel right there.

[@duncanevy]

Had an friend that was an engineer for the RR. He hated this. He said keeping a train going a constant 1 mph for 12 hours really sucked. I can see why now.

[@RivannaRailfan]

Modern locomotives now have crawl control. Where are you can set locomotives, like this train, to go at 0.3 mph for loading.

[@kletrain7079]

Santa getting ready for Christmas 😆

[@mattalbrecht7471]

😂😂😂

[@ellieprice3396]

Most of this coal is going to factories that manufacture the steel, aluminum, rubber, glass, copper, zinc, plastic, and batteries that power electric vehicles.

[@BeeRadicaI]

My ass needs to wake up hella early for work tomorrow but here I am…

[@davidwayneprins]

expert loader. No spillage between cars.

[@RivannaRailfan]

He's the best of the best!

[@guyordorff8355]

That is so neat

[@johnhagan7742]

Whoa, mama! That's a lot of coal to haul!

[@a2r7n6]

All that awesome coal to power electric cars. 😀

[@terryanderson4366]

San Antonio Texas has 11 trains running constantly with this coal to fuel their electric generators. Cleanest burning available.

[@Bob.W.]

Thanks.

[@esquad5406]

It's not going away. It will never go away. The green fools can just get over it.

[@woods840]

Long live King coal!

[@MrSaemichlaus]

Like putting icing on a cake with a spout bag.

[@yorkshirefazer]

very interesting! love seeing how things work. quite surprised there is no water mister or similar to keep the dust down, or is it not needed for the grade of coal being loaded??

[@RivannaRailfan]

Not needed

[@aldraysmith7923]

You up close and personal 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿

[@RivannaRailfan]

Yessir

[@officialmcdeath]

Intriguing stuff, thank you! Seems like, regular as clockwork, a bunch of coal spills out from the dispensing hopper when the feed is shut off at the end of each car load - is there a reason for that? Subbed for more RR goodness \m/

[@Mudcat50]

It is really neat. When they push the mty cars past the loadout, they are scanned for the car# and weight each separate car holds There are large bins in the top of the loadout that are constantly being filled. As the cars are pulled back thru to be loaded, the exact amount is dropped into a smaller bin to fill up each individual car.

[@theguildofthetranquilpine5360]

That must be fun

[@RivannaRailfan]

Very

[@chrisv4640]

Using angle of repose to your advantage.

[@chrislinder7558]

I always wondered how every coal car was perfect not one car was different than the others

[@shawnpowell5876]

It looks like at some point a hopper bottom opened to disperse some on the ground

[@ssweeps]

I saw that there is some coal that spilled out a little on the ground. Do they sweep this up and use it or?

[@pyrog.c.c89]

Great job.🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@RivannaRailfan]

🇺🇸

[@andrewfield5656]

"Any of you boys know how to shovel coal?!" - Lucile Bluth

[@jamesowen4938]

Hell yeah! 👍

[@fedupdomer5654]

thats gottaa be one of the more tedious operators jobs... yes you have to pay attention , but the pace and repetition can drive you nuts!

[@paulmavric887]

Cool video,I ment coal😅👍

[@TheMetGuy]

What was the original symbol for this train while it was still empty before the letter changed after being loaded?

[@RivannaRailfan]

No idea, E something

[@FlyBikes089]

Fantastic video!!! Curious,bthe loadout machine are very loud or, less and, rumble or, smooth? Because I'm completely deaf. And, thank you for post sharing with us! 👍

[@RivannaRailfan]

A little rumbling but mainly just a lot of noise from the coal landing in the hoppers.

[@FlyBikes089]

@@RivannaRailfan Wow that so very interesting! I glad that you visit to coal loadout facility and, those allowed you film em! And thanks for info!

[@RivannaRailfan]

Thank you for watching! Im sorry there is no way to share the true sounds of the railroads with you

[@fentonb9520]

Beautiful Clean Burning Coal keeps the lights on

[@crazyfroggie6546]

is there a predetermined volume of coal to fill a wagon, or does it just fill until it reaches the edge of the wagon?

[@RivannaRailfan]

Predetermined by computer based on the hopper and what it can hold

[@mattalbrecht7471]

Pretty cool. I would have thought that the cars could be filled a little bit faster it looks like it was coming out of the main Hopper much faster than the cars were moving. And you think that it would level it off a little bit more so that way the wind doesn't hit it once the train starts rolling and blow all of that very loose coal off onto the tracks

[@nowake]

I believe there is a chemical spray that these cars will roll under to treat the surface of the coal to prevent just what you've described from happening. Before this was done, BNSF found their track ballast was being fouled from all the coal dust.

[@falconerd343]

That mound on top means each car holds just that little bit extra, meaning less cars for a given weight purchased.

[@u2bear377]

@@falconerd343 The cars seem to be underfillet at the trailing end.

[@ssweeps]

Is coal heavy or light?

[@modelsteamers671]

We used to do this in UK till some idiot called Thatcher closed all the mines.

[@notyou6950]

Black sunshine concentrate.

[@mitchs323]

I'm surprised that the coal company allowed you to film from the loadout, they're usually pretty picky about letting people on their property.

[@mattalbrecht7471]

No kidding! First a "safety" issue, then "proprietary loading techniques"

[@mitchs323]

@@mattalbrecht7471 Pretty much the same techniques are used at almost all loadouts, only differences are the operator's preferances.

[@mattalbrecht7471]

@@mitchs323 oh I am sure. I found the video interesting. I thought the load was faster though. Maybe fill 4 or 5 cars at a time, and quicker. I'd love to see how they make life cereal and the interweaving of the fibers, but general Mills won't let anyone see that because it is "proprietary"

[@TheMan1510]

Is the coal weighed as it's loaded so that each car gets a set amount, or does the operator just stuff as much as he can into each one? BTW, thanks for the video -- this is fascinating stuff!!!

[@RivannaRailfan]

Automatically dumped by the weight that the car can handle, all the operator does is start the dumping for each car, the computer stops it at car capacity.

[@TheMan1510]

Awesome! Thanks!@@RivannaRailfan

[@nettynurhayati2800]

👍

[@ES-zz5yj]

I can’t even imagine how much coal has been used sense people started using coal. Coal trains come by here 4-5 times a day that’s during the day light hours.

[@marktheshark7754]

It pales in comparison to how much coal is consumed by India and China. American coal consumption is a fraction of what it was during the peak in the 1930's and 1940's. Now it's just down to a few remaining power plants and steel mills. The rest is exported across the ocean.

[@ericmattinen4728]

Great video of electric car fuel being loaded!

[@jmcfarlandjr]

Little to no waste. I always thought coal was lumpier.

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

i always heard they sprayed a light coat of glue on top to prevent "dusting"...........

[@RivannaRailfan]

Some places they do, some places they don't. It depends on the type of coal being mined.

[@shanehinton954]

How long does it take to load them up? Im guessing it takes hours?

[@RivannaRailfan]

At 0.3mph, about 5-7 hours.

[@shanehinton954]

@@RivannaRailfan Wow! I wonder what the engineer and conductor do, do they sleep on the train or leave until its done?

[@RivannaRailfan]

Engineer runs loco, and the conductor spots the cars from the loadout. They can be OD for 12 hours working.

[@prm414]

I wonder why the back end doesn’t get filled.

[@kylegallardy1894]

I wonder if the front axles wear out first

[@RivannaRailfan]

Nope

[@mattjohnson9743]

That stuff is going to Georgia power plant wansely or plant Bowen in cartervile Georgia,

[@RivannaRailfan]

No this went to a Power plant in Charleston SC

[@Tipp_Of_The_Mitt]

I'm assuming discharge rate is computer controlled?

[@RivannaRailfan]

Correct