Automation trends in train loading

摘要

Through the years, the technology of loading bulk materials, such as coal, iron ore, aggregates and phosphates, etc., into open top railcars has continued to evolve. The evolution has gone from manual loading operations using rubber tyre wheel loaders to volumetric loading systems, semi-automatic prefill systems (more commonly called batch weigh systems) and, finally, fully automatic unattended batch weigh train loadout systems. To better understand where the technology is to date, a quick review of past technologies is in order.