Overhead and Portable Car Shakers

Abstract

Bituminous coal is screened to size and washed at the mine. If the coal cars are sent in transit immediately and they encounter cold weather the coal will freeze to some depth. To prepare for such conditions, many plants have thawing pits at unloading locations where men with torches try to thaw the coal at the discharge openings in the cars. Pounding with a sledge hammer does not accomplish too much. Torches with a very hot flame distort the steel body of the car, a practice frowned upon by car manufacturers but allowed, against their better judgement, by the railroads. Larger industrial plants use a car shaker to help unload cars and, if coal is badly frozen, also use torches.