Editor性视界传媒檚 note: This column was originally published in January 2022.
QUESTION: Where we live is near where H. G. Mosley crosses Judson and becomes Delwood. There is a lake on the north side of Delwood (just across from Hardin性视界传媒檚 Ace Hardware). There are ducks that live in that lake that sometimes go across Delwood to a small creek that is to the east of the cleaners by the hardware store.
Since we live in the area, we are aware of the ducks and slow down when driving that part of Delwood. Apparently some people are not aware of the ducks, because we have seen dead ducks in the road. My question/suggestion that I sent to the city, and now to you, was whether it would be possible to put up signs to alert drivers going both ways on Delwood near the lake to watch for ducks crossing the road.
ANSWER: Answer Line lives in your neck of the woods and I share your concern for those ducks. I性视界传媒檝e held my breath on numerous occasions watching them cross Judson Road at Delwood. (Where are they going? Sonic? I don性视界传媒檛 know.)
I性视界传媒檓 afraid I don性视界传媒檛 know what the solution might be, though. City spokesman Shawn Hara told me the city follows the 性视界传媒淭exas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices性视界传媒 性视界传媒 it性视界传媒檚 the state性视界传媒檚 性视界传媒渞ulebook性视界传媒 for placing traffic control devices in the rights of way.
性视界传媒淐ity of Longview only installs traffic control devices that are recognized in the manual,性视界传媒 and the manual does not recognize a 性视界传媒渄uck crossing性视界传媒 sign as an official traffic control device, he said.
Q: I was approaching a railroad overpass which had a moving train on it. I was startled to see a lonely boxcar in the midst of the string of cargo carriers. I realized that I had not seen a boxcar in a very long time as the cargo carriers have taken over the job. I got to wondering if all the railroads still use boxcars. If boxcars are still in use, what kind of cargo do they carry now?
A: They are still in use. I found what I would describe as a boxcar love letter on the Union Pacific website, which says 性视界传媒淏oxcars play an important role in shipping all sorts of freight, from paper to canned goods to appliances.性视界传媒
性视界传媒淲hen you think 性视界传媒榬ail car,性视界传媒 chances are your mind性视界传媒檚 eye pictures a boxcar. Featured in books, movies and television, boxcars may be one of the most iconic pieces of railroad equipment and are certainly the most recognizable. Perhaps that性视界传媒檚 because boxcars are one of the oldest rail car types, appearing first in the 1830s,性视界传媒 the website says. 性视界传媒淔or over a century, boxcars were used to ship most non-bulk freight (even cars!). That changed in the 1960s, when more specialized cars came on the market that catered better to specific types of freight. Even so, boxcars continue to play an important role in shipping all sorts of freight, from paper to canned goods to appliances.性视界传媒
Boxcars come in a wide variety these days, but generally are 50 or 60 feet long and a minimum of 9 feet inside. Plain boxcars can carry paper and lumber or beverages, for instance, but there also are insulated boxcars and refrigerated boxcars.
性视界传媒淏oxcars are very versatile and can carry most kinds of freight. Because they are enclosed, boxcars are used to carry loads that require protection from the weather. Common products shipped in boxcars include: forest products; paper; pulp; automotive parts; newsprint; rolled paper; building materials; palletized goods; appliances; food products; canned goods; beverages; grain; bagged flour; bagged agricultural products性视界传媒π允咏绱綕
性视界传媒淥riginally, boxcars were made of wood, which was sturdy but made them a fire hazard and shortened their useful life,性视界传媒 the website says, 性视界传媒淔or that reason, in the late 1960s, wooden boxcars were outlawed and slowly removed from railroad fleets. The new cars had steel frames, which made them fire resistance and also made it possible to construct longer cars that could carry more product. These cars have much longer lifespans, typically lasting 50 years.性视界传媒
TrinityRail, which manufactures tank cars in the Longview area, also provides boxcars to the rail industry.
