Loading train cars not as simple as one might think

Garrett Jensen and Brady Haase were working to load train cars with soft white winter wheat headed for Portland last week. These cars will be headed first to Spokane, then Pasco and eventually, Portland. Jensen said, “Once contracted, the Odessa Union has 48 hours to complete the job of loading the cars.”

Pearson Burke, of the Odessa Union Warehouse, said they load 24 cars at a time. There are two different car sizes, so, after he crunched the numbers, he said that each car holds between 3,250 bushels and 3,700 bushels per car depending on the size.

Jensen explained that each car is divided into three sections and, because he’s the one controlling the mechanism that the wheat flows from, he has to load each one proportionately to keep the load level.

Brady Haase regulates the rate of flow of wheat through the tubes that drop the wheat into the cars. He also moves the cars forward, as each car is filled with a designated amount of wheat. It’s all measured. When the cars are moved forward for loading, the brake (operated by Haase) is released and because the tracks are on a decline, they move forward. Haase then needs to stop the forward motion with a wheel that brakes this action. Once the empty car is lined up, they start loading it with wheat.

Toby Lobe drove up to the elevator in a semi loaded with wheat which was then loaded into the elevator and was then dropped through a series of tubes into the cars. This is a multi-step process.