Shortline Sammie Wrote:
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> Fred and all;
>
> From the description and car numbers, you were
> listening to the Oregon Pacific at Canby...must
> have been at a pretty good elevation to hear us in
> Wilsonville!
>
> Actually what you were hearing was the car number
> (NDYX 515249) followed by the load limit (223) and
> tare (empty) weight (63) in thousands of pounds. A
> hopper of corn, this one adds up to
> 286 (000) pounds or what we consider a "heavy"
> car.
>
> TTZX 84659 is an empty centerbeam (whether it is a
> "heavy" or "light" is determined when it goes out
> as a load), but not at this time.
>
> On the other hand, MKT 14044, a load of steel
> coil, has a load limit of 187(000) pounds and a
> tare weight of 75 (000) which add up around 263
> (000) pounds or a "light" car.
>
> The Class I (UP) pays us a slightly higher rate
> for the heavy cars vs light ones, the difference
> of which we invest in track and bridge upgrades to
> handle the heavier cars.
>
> Hope you enjoyed the "show".
>
> Dick Samuels
> www.oregonpacificrr.com

Fair enough, I am not in a position to speak to this subject. However, how does Joe Schmuck, average train crew member, know how to interpret the info that you have alluded to?