Some more info on industrial rail sidings used by the grain industry...
Construction: Both CN and CP require 100+ lb rail for grain elevator sidings, ties are often good used ties, generally hand selected salvaged ties, and locally sourced ballast. CN has historically provided the material for the siding, while the Owner does the construction. This means CWR might be used on some sidings where it is available. CP does not contribute.
Design: Most layouts are site specific, but generally, they are often two, three or four parallel tracks, with a single lead back to the mainline on each side of the facility. There are a few built on wyes off the mainline, but they are limited. A few are built at diamonds to try to exploit rail service from both CN and CP.
Car moving: Grain elevators are responsible for moving their own cars to the loading spout. The methods commonly used are car progressioners (continuous loop cable winches using gravity or hydraulic tensioning systems), switching locomotives, purpose built car movers (Shuttlewagon, Trackmobile, RailKing), and at least one Brandt RoadRailer.
Car loading: Trough hatches are opened manually, and loading spout is lowered into the first compartment of the hopper car. The flow of grain is started and the car is loaded and advanced as requried to either bulk load the car (light commodities like canola or peas) or weigh out the car (wheat, etc). Once a car is loaded, the troughs are closed. Most grain shipments now require tamper proof seals on the discharge gates and on the trough hatches as well. Cars are inspected before loading. Damaged cars are rejected and tagged as Bad Orders, other with residue and cleaned out if practical, or if its is serious, also Bad Ordered.
Maintenance: Alot of grain is split during load of some hopper cars, but it is generally cleaned up where practical. Many facilities use asphalt paving around the rails near the loading spouts to facilitate clean up.
Unloading: Yes, many of the modern high throughput concrete grain elevators have unloading systems for hopper cars. These systems are frequently concrete tunnels extending under the car loading track(s) and contain a grating, hopper and conveyor to move grain back into the elevator below ground. This is used when a hopper car of grain is determined to be out of specification and needs to be unloaded by the elevator and the car reloaded. (it does happen...) During some periods in the recent past, grain elevator could ship grain from small elevators to larger elevators, and then reship it due to the rate structure. I think this has almost completely stopped.
GB
Construction: Both CN and CP require 100+ lb rail for grain elevator sidings, ties are often good used ties, generally hand selected salvaged ties, and locally sourced ballast. CN has historically provided the material for the siding, while the Owner does the construction. This means CWR might be used on some sidings where it is available. CP does not contribute.
Design: Most layouts are site specific, but generally, they are often two, three or four parallel tracks, with a single lead back to the mainline on each side of the facility. There are a few built on wyes off the mainline, but they are limited. A few are built at diamonds to try to exploit rail service from both CN and CP.
Car moving: Grain elevators are responsible for moving their own cars to the loading spout. The methods commonly used are car progressioners (continuous loop cable winches using gravity or hydraulic tensioning systems), switching locomotives, purpose built car movers (Shuttlewagon, Trackmobile, RailKing), and at least one Brandt RoadRailer.
Car loading: Trough hatches are opened manually, and loading spout is lowered into the first compartment of the hopper car. The flow of grain is started and the car is loaded and advanced as requried to either bulk load the car (light commodities like canola or peas) or weigh out the car (wheat, etc). Once a car is loaded, the troughs are closed. Most grain shipments now require tamper proof seals on the discharge gates and on the trough hatches as well. Cars are inspected before loading. Damaged cars are rejected and tagged as Bad Orders, other with residue and cleaned out if practical, or if its is serious, also Bad Ordered.
Maintenance: Alot of grain is split during load of some hopper cars, but it is generally cleaned up where practical. Many facilities use asphalt paving around the rails near the loading spouts to facilitate clean up.
Unloading: Yes, many of the modern high throughput concrete grain elevators have unloading systems for hopper cars. These systems are frequently concrete tunnels extending under the car loading track(s) and contain a grating, hopper and conveyor to move grain back into the elevator below ground. This is used when a hopper car of grain is determined to be out of specification and needs to be unloaded by the elevator and the car reloaded. (it does happen...) During some periods in the recent past, grain elevator could ship grain from small elevators to larger elevators, and then reship it due to the rate structure. I think this has almost completely stopped.
GB