Heyl & Patterson Blog

Railways were introduced to India in 1853, and as their development progressed in the 20th century, several organizations grew to enforce standardization and coordination among the various railway systems.  Each company formulated its own rules and regulations regarding charging, booking and carriage of passengers and goods.  Due to the multiple rules, the Indian rail system was known for its inconvenience.

The approval of new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency regarding air pollution, water pollution and waste disposal could result in the retirement of 35-70 gigawatts of coal-fired power generation nationwide.  Electricity rates will most certainly rise, and many believe that even if construction jobs are created in the green industry, virtually no manufacturing jobs are likely to be created from the replacement of coal.  Transmission grid stability will emerge as a major issue, both because of power plant shutdowns and the intermittency of renewables.

The main purpose of coal handling systems is to transfer the coal as quickly and cleanly as possible as it is moved from one place to another.  Loading and transporting are just two stages in the process of moving coal from the producer to the consumer.  When transporting by rail, coal must be unloaded from railroad cars and a number of options are available, including rotary dumpers and turnover dumpers, which discharge loads parallel to the rails.

As railroad cars evolved, there needed to be a more efficient way to unload bulk materials from them than to use a shovel.  There were two obvious ways of improving the situation, and a debate began on the merits of “turning the whole car upside down” versus allowing the bulk materials to “fall out of the bottom.”

The railcar, as a means of transporting bulk materials, has been in existence for 400 years and actually pre-dates the steam locomotive by 172 years.  The first railcars were horse drawn and hauled coal along wooden railway tracks.  The shovel, with a good measure of human sweat, was the accepted method of loading and unloading it.

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.

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.

The rotary railcar dumper is an effective, time-tested machine for transferring bulk materials, especially for unloading coal at power plants. The rotary dumper makes unloading coal a quick and simple process that eliminates waste while saving time and money.  Heyl & Patterson has manufactured Rotary Railcar Dumpers for decades, and is one of the companies that pioneered the technology.

Mining is one of Australia's most important industries, creating significant employment and greatly contributing to the Australian economy.  It's also a vital source of export revenue.  Australia is the world's leading exporter of coal and iron ore, and is among the leaders in nickel, zinc, aluminum, gold and uranium.  Minerals make up about 35% of Australia's total exports.

Indonesia is one of the largest coal producers and coal consumers in the world.  Over the past two decades, Indonesia's coal industry has transformed itself from being an unknown, minor player in Asia's coal markets to the world's largest exporter of steam coal.  Indonesia created this world-scale industry despite challenges created by widespread government corruption, a weak legal system, the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the fall of the Suharto government in 1998.