Heyl & Patterson Blog

A picture is worth a thousand words.  This old adage, which originated as a Chinese proverb, refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed in a single image.  With the dawn of the Information Age, anyone has the ability to tell an infinite number of stories, to an infinite number of people.  To help tell the story of our 125 years in business, Heyl & Patterson has launched the the H&P Flickr Account.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."  In a time when government funding for health and human services has been declining in recent years, agencies have been forced to scale back or eliminate critical programs.  With that in mind, Heyl & Patterson continues its support of the United Way of Allegheny County.

Railcar unloading has become more advanced and complicated since Heyl & Patterson was established in 1887.  In 1984, Heyl & Patterson developed a means to help customers meet the challenges of working with Rotary Railcar Dumpers through an industry first: a conference designed specifically for users of dumpers and related systems.  The conference has been a bi-annual event ever since, and has provided genuine benefits to all who attend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Pittsburgh, PA - Heyl & Patterson Inc., a specialist engineering company headquartered in Pittsburgh, proudly celebrates its 125^th anniversary throughout 2012.  Crediting multiple generations of employees, customers and vendors for the company’s longevity, Heyl & Patterson has continually adapted to the times and has demonstrated that success is driven by teamwork and innovation.

Lionel is the most enduring brand name associated with American model trains, with a devoted following of collectors.  Lionel products are O-gauge, meaning a 1:48 scale (a quarter inch equals one foot) to show fine detail.  Inside Track magazine, the official publication of the Lionel RailRoader Club, recently contacted Heyl & Patterson regarding our Rotary Railcar Dumpers because one of their newest accessories is a scale model dumper.  The article will be in the December 2011 issue.

Power generation comes from a variety of heat-producing sources: oil, natural gas, nuclear, geothermal, wind, solar and of course, coal.  The heat boils water and creates steam.  The steam, under high pressure, spins a turbine.  The turbine interacts with a series of magnets to produce electricity, which is transmitted as moving electrons through a series of wires to homes and businesses.

Coal is handled and stored several times during its journey between the mine and the eventual consumer.  About 2.5 million tons of coal are burned in U.S. power plants each day.  This is equivalent to roughly 21,000 railcars in transit, so coordinating production and consumption is no easy task. Accidents, rail strikes, severe weather and disasters that take out bridges and rail lines can all disrupt deliveries for utility customers who are dependent on a reliable coal supply for their power plants.

Heyl & Patterson is the maker of the CUB™, a unique railcar and locomotive moving device.  Utilizing a steel runway that is bolted to the ties adjacent the track rail, the CUB™ is an electromechanical machine that is capable of moving up to 13 railcars at a time.  It's safe, easy to install, environmentally friendly and far less costly than large systems, making it the ideal solution for small to mid-sized railcar loading, unloading and repositioning applications.

The busiest cargo port in the western hemisphere is the Port of South Louisiana.  It extends 54 miles along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.  About 6000 vessels pass through on an annual basis, and it accounts for 60% of all raw grain exports from the American Midwest.  Grain and other commodities such as coal, ore, wood chips, sand, feed and salt are classified as bulk cargo.  As the name implies, bulk cargo is transported unpackaged in large quantities, and is often transferred from ship to shore by some form of bucket unloader.