Suppliers update hopper cars, components to meet efficiency, sustainability demands

Compiled by Julie Sneider, Senior Editor

A. Stucki Co.

After several years of research, design and testing, A. Stucki Co. recently introduced its GATOR^® 30-by-30-inch hopper car outlet gate.

"The GATOR sharply improves the unloading of grain, fertilizer, corn and other dry and light commodities, which saves both time and money," said Rich Potje, Stucki's vice president of engineering, in an email. "It's a breakthrough product that serves the food industry both downstream after harvest and upstream during the pre-planting season."

Designed to be lighter without sacrificing strength, the GATOR features polyethylene door seals for ease of operation, an automatic locking door plate mechanism and a self-cleaning door wiper. A key innovation is a proprietary security mechanism engineered to deter door-plate theft, the first of its kind in the rail industry, Stucki officials said.

"Theft of hopper car door plates has been a significant and ongoing issue in the rail industry," said Potje. "They're perfect sheets of metal that can be used or resold, making them an enticing target. The GATOR'S security mechanism addresses that problem head-on."

The GATOR — which is also available in a 42-by-42-inch size — is AAR S-233 approved and offers a variety of customized options, including stainless steel hardware, food-grade quality and a heavy-duty bolt-on frame.

It also offers low-torque operation for easy unloading and closing, and a cam system that ensures the locks won't drag on the gate door during the process, Stucki officials said.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc.

Greenbrier's hopper cars are designed to drive operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness for customers.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc.

The Greenbrier Cos.' latest covered hoppers offer protection for sensitive cargo, ensuring secure transportation even in the most challenging environments, company officials said in an email.

With customizable options to suit diverse cargo requirements, the covered hoppers provide rail operators and shippers with flexibility to optimize their supply chains, they added.

Moreover, the company's open-top hopper offers versatility and durability on the rails. Designed to withstand rigorous demands, the cars feature robust construction and advanced features that maximize payload capacity while minimizing maintenance needs, Greenbrier officials said. From bulk commodities to aggregates, the cars are designed to drive operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness for customers.

The demand for efficient and sustainable freight solutions in today's market is soaring, and rail transport — increasingly preferred as industries strive to reduce carbon footprints and streamline logistics — aligns with this trend, according to Greenbrier. In response, the company's innovative hoppers offer a greener alternative, ensuring reliability and cost-efficiency, Greenbrier officials said.

Miner Enterprises Inc.

Miner's DuraShield^™ hatch covers are available in round and square end-cover configurations.

Miner Enterprises Inc.

A trend that Miner Enterprises leaders note in the current hopper-car market is "a lot of triple hopper cars using outlet gates with larger openings," says Bill O'Donnell, Miner's executive director of global sales. "Potash is a key market where this is very prevalent."

One such model is Miner's AutoLOK II outlet gate, which is easy to operate and offers reliable discharge of commodities such as grain, sugar, dry bulk chemicals, sand, cement and potash, company officials said.

The AutoLOK II provides the following features:

• a tight tolerance that prevents leakage;
• full perimeter carpet seals that prevent leakage at all temperature extremes;
• a patented "lost-motion" system that results in a lower opening force by allowing the lock to unlock before the door opens;
• 2-inch-wide enclosed rack and pinion with forged backstop that ensures the door remains in time and protects the door from over torque;
• door runners that ensure rack and pinion stay fully engaged for reliable opening and closing;
• tapered front end door supports that allow the door to close completely before buildup can occur;
• flat vertical walls that minimize commodity buildup; and
• proven UHMW material on ridge door runners that reduce friction for easier opening.

Miner's plastic pellet gates line features watertight, obstruction free and simple-to-operate designs, company officials said. The SaniLOK gate for food-grade commodities is the only sanitary, stainless-steel gravity-pneumatic gate built with all U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Drug Administration approved materials in the flow path of the commodity, they added. In addition, the gate features a movable vacuum chamber that's designed to be easy to clean.

Miner also covers the hopper car from top to bottom. The company's flexible design will accommodate any 24-inch trough requirement, providing custom length doors. The DuraShield^™ hatch covers are available in round and square end-cover configurations. The DuraShield is constructed of a high-performance aluminum composite material — an aluminum skin top and bottom and a solid polyethylene core — over a rigid frame. The result is a lightweight profile cover system that is more durable than fiberglass and lighter weight than all-aluminum hatch covers, Miner officials said.

Features of the DuraShield include high performance composite material; gaskets designed to stay in place at all temperature extremes; optional bumpers that adapt to varying car designs to allow the cover to lay flat when open; a patent-pending boxed frame design that provides strength for greater durability and stiffness; a full-length, 3/16-inch aluminum angle that reinforces cover edge protection from damage during opening; high-strength steel cross members that form the end of the frame and resist damage from the batten bars; and hinges that fasten directly to the support straps to minimize leakage or cracking.

Email questions or comments to julie.sneider@tradepress.com.