B train side dump good and bad

I ran double 40' side dumps in Nevada. No big deal except for length and all the associated electrical & hydraulic issues. They we're Rancos, ( out of production now?). Gotta watch the back axle hub covers when dragging the rear trailer over larger material.
Two man job to put a set together.

 

Yep...I've heard it's possible...but use common sense & try to stay off the pile or windrow. I really got pretty good at laying out an even row with a train.
But...there again, when you start with both tubs rolled over before dumping..you gotta be on your game. It takes a while to get to know how quickly the boxes respond. Some lazy, others fairly quick. I had one of each in the set.
Who Hoo.

 

I'm a little late to this thread, but I can offer my $0.02, as I ran B-Train side dumps here locally for a few years.

I've operated a couple of different brands, but I did prefer Side Dump Industries trains. They were very stable. They can flip, but I've only seen it once. Usually on soft ground, bad angle, and when the driver attempts to dump boxes at the same time. Dump one box at a time, on decent ground, and these things are virtually impossible to flip over.

Steel boxes could handle anything just fine. I've hauled 24" Riff Raff, and the only concern with stone this big is that they can roll into things like the landing gear of the trailers when dumping. One trailer needed landing gear replacement due to Riff Raff rolling into it. Not an issue for "regular" gravel, though.

Another pro is the ability to legally haul 42 metric tonnes of gravel (at least here). Cons? Not many operators know how to load these, and more often than not you'll be way over on the tri-axle bridge, while being under on the tandems.

Also, I have seen people dump through tarps a dozen times. Unlike an end dump, forgetting the tarp and dumping will ensure tarp ends up at the bottom of 20 tonnes of dirt.

Obviously length is a factor for local work, when many sites are just used to truck and pony's. Even some gravel pit weigh scales are only long enough for dump and transfer trailers, meaning with B-Trains it can mean the scale operator will have to bust out the calculator and weigh each half of the truck separately, to their dismay.

The ability to dump right over concrete barriers makes them ideal for a limited amount of roadwork, which is something that an end dump cannot do.

Also, it was not uncommon to park the A-Box, and run just the B-Box... This allows the truck & trailer to get into spots suitable for truck & pony's, with the net product capacity being only a tonne or two less than a truck and pony, therefor being able to bill an equivalent rate.

THAT all being said, B-Train side dumps are, at least here, probably still best left for mainly highway work. Local work just can't always accommodate them properly... Most customers are simply used to a truck & pony, or a transfer.

And at least for local construction work, it does take a good driver to maneuver these things around sites designed for truck & pony's.

 

I should also add, that pulling 63,500kg through mud, sand, etc, is VERY hard on the tractor. Unless you have a heavy-spec truck with big power, think twice.

A 12,000lb front won't really do, as I saw a half-dozen front leafs snapped. It's a brutal environment pulling that weight through muck. 46,000 rears, 14,600 front, 18 speed, full-lockers, and big power are really the minimum you should have for a combo like this operating in extreme environments.

Side Dump Ind. trailers have a dozer push bar at the back. It will be used. You will also need a proper front tow hook attachment. Half the "standard" tow hooks on the tractors were broken off... You will want a really durable tractor tow point attachment. The "hooks" won't cut it for very long.

 

Only problem I had pulling double 40' side dumps was when hauling big nasty chunks of rock/concrete, you had to make certain the crap didn't take out the wheel hubcaps. C/R makes steel hubcaps vs: Stemco pot metal/aluminum.
Management wouldn't listen. Two guys lost wheels!!

 

How come you're dead set on trains?