Coil car

A steel coil car owned by Norfolk Southern Railway

Coil cars (also referred to as "steel coil cars" or "coil steel cars") are a specialized type of rolling stock designed for the transport of coils (i.e., rolls) of sheet metal, particularly steel. They are considered a subtype of the gondola car, though they bear little resemblance to a typical gondola.

History

Prior to the invention of this type, coils of sheet steel were carried on end or in cradles in open or covered gondolas. Load shifting, damage, and awkward loading and unloading were all problems with this type of loading, and since so much sheet steel is transported, a specialized car was designed for this use.

These cars started to appear in the 1960s. Early examples include the Pennsylvania Railroad G40 and G41 class cars, built in 1964-65.^[1]

Construction

The body of a coil car consists of a trough or series of troughs. Most commonly these run lengthwise, but there are transverse variants as well; in either case they may be lined with wood or other material to cushion the load.^[2] The coils are set on their sides in the trough, and stops may be applied across the trough to keep the coils from shifting.

The cars are equipped with hoods to cover the load. Some cars use a single hood, but more commonly a pair of hoods is provided. Each hood has a lifting point at its center, and often has brackets on the top at the corners in order to allow the hoods to be stacked when not in use. The hoods are largely interchangeable and it is common to see a car with mismatched hoods.

References

1. ^ PRR Class G41 data from Rob Schoenberg's PRR Home page
2. ^ Transverse Trough Coil Car from Union Pacific corporate website

External links

• CN 187186 without hoods, showing how car is loaded
• Guide to Railcars