TM 55-203
Section II. FREIGHT CARS
18-6. Estimating Material Needs
18-4. General
a.
Where practicable in advance of the
The following should be given careful consideration in
planning a new or modified shop in a theater of
scheduled shipping date, a certain number of cars of a
operations:
particular series should be forwarded to the heavy repair
shop These cars should be stripped down and tabulation
a.
The availability of land, buildings, labor, and
should then be made of the repairs and items needed
and an average secured representing the quantity
material is an important factor. If shop buildings are
required for one car of a series. This average figure can
available or can be converted, the car repair operation
then be used as an experience factor to set up a
will be less vulnerable to interruptions or delays due to
material estimate to cover the entire series. Preliminary
weather than if work is performed in the open.
inspections and repair work may indicate certain car
parts which can be reclaimed or reworked successfully.
b.
Where practicable, even in a small
operation, the facilities should be arranged for repair
b.
Necessary requisitions can be prepared and
operations on one class of car, that is, designated tracks
orders placed with supply personnel for delivery on a
for one class at a time. This permits concentration of
fixed schedule to coincide with repair operations. Car
material and the installation of subassembly lines,
repair company supply officers should be cognizant of
platforms, racks, and devices for efficient repair
approximate times required to get materials from
operations.
CONUS and submit requisitions accordingly. A careful
check of material orders and deliveries must be made
c.
The size of the shop will depend on the
regularly during the repair period. It may be necessary
output that will be required from it. The tactical situation
to increase or reduce quantities of certain items if the
and seasonal demand may determine requirements,
repairs required are greater or less than were indicated
since it might be necessary to concentrate the heavy
by the average figure. Where deliveries of some items
repair work on a certain class of car during a short light
are delayed, special efforts can be made to expedite
traffic period. Any available heavy repair shops may be
such shipment to prevent shutdown or delays in the
used for the building or assembly of completely new
repair shop operations.
cars, such as flatcars, boxcars, and gondola cars. The
railway service may fabricate some major parts such as
c.
Preliminary estimates of labor and material
underframes, sides, ends, roof sections, hoppers, doors,
provide valuable data for preparation of
and various subassemblies.
These parts can be
forecasts of future repair shop operations.
assembled into a complete car in a series of relatively
simple operations and with limited shop facilities.
18-7. Progressive Repair System
18-5. Heavy Repairs
The scheduling of repairs to one or more series of cars
on a program basis provides an opportunity for
a.
Heavy repair work on varied and
appreciable economies when such work is performed by
miscellaneous types of cars will consist of those
a progressive or spot system. The progressive system
operations requiring more than 3 days to complete. This
is an adaptation in the railroad shop of the assembly line
will include repair or rebuilding of cars damaged in
method used in automotive production plants. For the
combat actions, wrecks, derailments, accidents, or by
Army, it is well adapted to the erection of knocked down
sabotage, as well as the necessary work on bad-order
cars or to conversion programs such as the conversion
cars to upgrade or restore them to service for an
of flatcars to lowside gondolas. Advantages result from
additional period.
increased production, since personnel can specialize in
a particular operation; materials and tools can be
b.
The facilities required for this type of
located conveniently; and jigs, fixtures, and devices can
general heavy repair work will be similar to those
be used for subassembly and final assembly. An
outlined for light car repairs and usually will include an
important requirement is the provision of some means
open side of enclosed building; offices; wash, locker,
of moving a car or group of cars from one position to
and toilet rooms; blacksmith shop; fabricating shop;
another, such as the use of gravity, car puller, or both.
airbrake room; and a woodworking shop with related
material storage building and platforms.
18-2
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