The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

UNLOADING OF RAILWAY WAGONS This subject may be divided under two heads, namely:— A. UNLOADING BY MEANS OF SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED SELF-EMPTYING HOPPER WAGONS, GENERALLY WITH HINGED DOORS; AND B. UNLOADING RAILWAY WAGONS BY MEANS OF TIPS OR HOISTS CHAPTER XXXIV UNLOADING BY MEANS OF SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED SELF-EMPTYING HOPPER WAGONS Self-emptying railway trucks occupy a place of the first importance among labour-saving appliances, though British railway companies hardly appear as yet to realise their full importance. The commsrcial success of many an industry, and especially of that of the production of pig iron, depends to a great extent upon the efficiency and economy of the transport arrangements,1 and in this self-emptying trucks play a most important part. The enormous saving to be effected, not only by the adoption of self-emptying railway trucks but also by giving them a considerably increased capacity as compared to the usual 10-ton railway trucks, is demonstrated by the following figures. For instance, a. steel works receiving daily 200 truck-loads of ore and coal would, at a low estimate, pay for the unloading of each truck say only one shilling. This means a yearly expenditure for unloading alone of ^3,000, but that sum could be almost entirely saved by the adoption of self-unloaders. The speed with which such trucks can be discharged saves demurrage and the trucks may be returned for reloading oftener, thus fewer wagons are needed. They are economical in the commercial sense, when the distance to be traversed is not too great, so that say two journeys per day can be made, though it is essential that the quantity to be handled should be sufficient for whole trains to be formed of these self-emptying trucks; special trucks having generally to return empty is not a serious matter for short distances and when whole trains of empties can be returned together. A factor which militates against the general adoption of large capacity self-emptying trucks for the carriage of coal, either consigned to ports or intended for inland con- sumption, is the height of the loading screens at some of ths pits. 1 he clearance is usually so small, that an increase in height means, in many cases, that wagons cannot be shunted under the screens to be loaded. Another difficulty is this, that self-unloading trucks for coal, minerals, etc., are 1 Those specially interested in this subject will find much useful information in a pamphlet entitled “Private Owners’ Wagons,” by S. R. Blundstone, published by The Railway Engineer, 15 Farringdon Avenue, E.C. 494