As a Class one Terminal Manager I recently had a customer in the same situation as yourself and I would say that the square magnet and a Material Handler is the way to go with the coil loads. The FRA doesn't like the coils being on bulkhead flats for safety reasons. If you would like more information I can drop ya my contact information!

Here it is april 2024 and I have just watched this program for the first time. Don't give up your wisdom is keeping me going. I love the rails and have a 10 x 10 room of model trains that I need to part with but for the past three years I just can't bring myself to sell it, so there it sits. I know of an abandoned track from Nacadoches Texas to Athens Texas and on to Dallas.hummmm Richard from Buffalo Texas.

As a former Canadian Pacific conductor who left because of class 1 management, I’d come to ETR in a heartbeat. Love what you’re doing here.

Some random thoughts to go with the prayers--- Sales calls: Even if no sale today, you've planted a seed and left a business card, so when things change someone might remember you. Magnet repair: Anderson Powerpole connectors support up to 350 A and 4/0 wire. A great quick connector when you need to switch magnets or other end devices. C Hook: Hooks of any kind could be a problem for coils deep inside a gondola, so now that the magnet test passed, you have good evidence that's the way to go. Track: As others have said, does Ohio Central think you are ready for car deliveries? Will a customer contract help get a loan, if needed, to finish the job? Stay safe, brother!

Few months back I commented about hoping to get into the industry. Well..I went from one Thursday having a time for an interview, that Sunday leaving Colorado and arriving in Portland early Monday morning for the interview, the next Monday starting my first day as a Transloader for Peninsula Terminal co. And the next day picking up my key to the apartment leading me to right now one day away from week 3 in Oregon and week 2 hooking up hoses and moving all the non hazmats our yard deals with from train to truck

Congratulations Brian........keep with it ....You will thick of A great I deas.....the more you do it

The material handler is a bit more universal to use than a gantry or forklift. You can get grapples and clam-shell buckets if someone wanted gravel, or other loose material

You need to get the fork attachment for the boom on a drywall delivery truck. Put longer forks on it, and then you lift them off using the forks, but have the maneuverability that you would with the boom.

Hi Brian: Not sure what this would cost, but it might be a viable solution: 1) First determine the maximum weight of the coils; 2) Have a metal shop fabricate a piece of flat steel stock slightly larger than the the diameter of the electromagnet operating service (e.g. if the magnet is 16 inches in diameter, fabricate a steel sheet approximately 17”x17”. The gage of the steel plate should be calculated to be able to withstand the weight of your load -with about a 10-20 percent safety factor. 3) Have the metal shop fabricate a 3 sided steel “C” beam out of hollow square steel stock. The size of the stock would again depend on the weight of the load - plus adding a safety factor. This hollow steel stock needs to be slightly longer than the length of the steel coils. 4) you will need 2 pieces of steel stock with these specifications. 4) Fabricate a third piece of steel stock with a length somewhat larger than the thickness of your coils. 5) Contract a welder to we,d these 3 pieces of square steel stock to create a “C” bracket with the longest 2 pieces on the top and bottom welded together with the short piece in the middle. This would result in an elongated “C” bracket with the small part in the middle holding the remaining long pieces together. 6) Cont4act the welder to weld the square steel plate (from step 2). The plate should be welded as closely as possible to the center of gravity of the finished assembly. Note: you need really good steel and a very good welder. To use this contraption. Attach your magnet to the square steel plate and lift towards your load. You sho7ld be able to easily maneuver the “C” clamp through the coil from the open side. The magnet sho7ld adhere well to the steel plate and as long as your welds are good, it sho7ld work well. You could also strengthen the “C” bracket with cross bracing. Note that as with all heavy equipment operations, safety first and stand clear while you test this idea. I really enjoy your videos and really admire your constant upbeat attitude. Mrs. ETR is very lucky to have a husband that is so positive. I hope she shares your dreams. I am sure that I speak for all of us at ETR Nation as I wish you success, happiness, and most of all, good h3alth. Keep working for that dream!

Where are the 2022 and 2023 ETR videos? Enjoy your hard work at planning for steel handling trans yard. Looking forward to more videos and info. Carry On Men!

You are on the right track Brian...a material handler with a bar magnet would be perfect. A small investment to investigate the engine in that Cat is a good first step.

👍👋 welcome back . Guess I missed a few episodes. Happy that it is working out for You . Continued success.

Your comments from minute 41 on to the end, hit the nail on the head. A successful business must be nimble and adaptable.

I look forward to the progress of the ETR. I've been watching for some and eagerly await every episode. You're keeping the dream alive. As always, I appreciate your candor and openness. Keep up the great work.

I used to handle steel coils of 3/8" x .0020 thickness steel band, To unload off the truck I used an overhead crane with a C Hook witch comes in different lengths for different width coils. Simple to hook up to the overhead crane or even you clamp on your truck. Just look up C Hook for coil loading or unloading on your google machine. LOL You wouldnt need the magnet for the machine your looking at just a hydraulic swivel and a C Hook and you sit in the cab and guide the C hook into the coil to pick it up..Just a thought. Bandit

The material handler is the most professional choice. Cat machines are well built with lots of service and parts support. As already mentioned it opens other opportunities.Great work

You have really grown on me for sure. Just keep on keeping on my friend

I love White Castle sliders. I am not happy that they don't have a location in downstate Illinois. You must be near a pretty large city to get a White Castle. They definitely are a nice daily reward for working on the railroad. I really like your videos. I'm binge watching them now. Can't wait for the next installment!

wire nuts are good for test and evaluation but for a permanent solution you should consider anderson powerpole connectors - they are one of the go to conductors for electric forklift battery connections.

Two thumbs up for the CAT material handler And I recognize the logo on that large track crane at the auction. It was ALL Erections crane rental

I look forward to the impending success. By the way when the coils are facing circles forward it is called shotgun style.

Great video! I always enjoy seeing what you're up to! Keep up the good work!

Thanks for showing this Brian....some is lots of hard work...all is good.

Thanks for sharing your 2 weeks of progress and experiments with magnetic lifts and such. Cheers from Wisconsin.

Keep moving! Great work and innovating.

Thanks for posting! I enjoyed your video.

ETR has grown on me this last year. I like the "day in the life" format. Hope you will do more. The material handler seems to me to be the most flexible machine. It can be easily adapted to do other kinds of loading and unloading

Damn! You'd have to run those slinkies down Godzilla's front steps to be able to play with them.

Great update and progress! Moving with power and direction like a railroad "typhoon". Yep, looks like you're indeed on the right track!

Glad to see that you seem to have a definate direction to proceed. I stopped following you because all I was seeing was field trips and nothing about ETR for several months. I have clicked on the subscribe button once again.

Very educational love your shows

The magnet lines just "short" through the plate, path of least resistance, when you pick it up with the round electro-magnet. The rectangular magnet you saw works because the source coil is that same shape to begin with. If you want to use a magnet the material handler and the rectangle magnet should work. I had another idea for the lifting of coils if you can get at them from the opening. Probably works great on the top row but may not work for the bottom layer of coil, deep in the gondola. It would still use a material handler but on the end would be something like the idea of an overhead pallet lifter. Of course an actual commercially available pallet lifter would be way too small but something sized up to the scale of the coil could be fabricated with some iron and welding rod. It all depends on if you can make it angle into the opening of the slinky. Just a thought but the rectangle magnet is probably the way to go given the way they pack them into the gondolas.

Definitely on the right path with that cat boom! Price has to be right. Great find!!

I am really supportive of all of your efforts. Wish I was close to help.

Loved seeing that smile at the very end Brian. Im selfishly asking for more content on an at least weekly basis. I have to get my ETR fix and two weeks between visits is too long!! I understand that you are busy. Great to see progress.

Brian, It looks like your on to some good work. The CAT is right machine for the job. A friend of mine had a scrap yard and the environmental impact on the operation was very hard to deal with, but coils would be great. Best of luck with your going forward in your planning. ETR forever!!

Great video, I like the day in the life. Its very interesting to see what it takes to make this endeavor work. Keep hitting the ground and pushing forward.

Just found and subscribe to your channel. I've been watching some of your older videos trying to get myself cought up on what your doing. Very interesting. 2👍👍 up. Have a Jesus filled day everyone Greg in Michigan

Good Luck with you r endeavors . I keep you in my thoughts.

Good to see you Brian! ALWAYS,ALWAYS push forward! Case in point... Worked for a major craft retailer...from a clerk to a North American l Lease Administrator, over 35 year career and got riffed. Used my acquired experience, reinvented myself and worked for another 10 years before retiring. Keep up the good work!

Brian: I think you are surely on the right path my boy. But, SON! You got to get one of those long magnets. That is the way to go. I love your "never give up" attitude. I am inspired by you. Hope you and the dear ETR Grand Dame had a night to remember doing the light fantastic out on the dance floor. Your buddy from Dixie, Mike

I think you should get that material handler. It's always great to see old iron brought back.

Good to see a video of yours again. Utube has not sent me any for awhile. I think that putting an electromagnet on the material handler, and getting a bigger fork truck is definitely the right choice. Don't worry Charter Steel here in Saukville, WI. ships coils out on flat bed trailers everyday. I know because I hauled them. And the driver is responsible for securing them. They get stacked circle side out and two rows high.

Thank you Brain for the model railroad idea for having a locomotive crane parked at the end of spur track for a modeling scene. I have a 60 year old model crane that would work well for this idea.

Made for good viewing bro. Safe travels

Thanks for the update I think because of all the turmoil we the people need positive news and seeing good things happening.Thanks again.Wish we could have seen the inside of that building.

All looks really cool Brian. I liked this video. I know a lot gets done without making it to KZfaq. Like the MoW equipment and work on the track itself. It is all interesting to see and I am really pulling for your success! Thank You Greg

I like the material handler and the long magnet. I've never seen one of the long magnets just the round ones. Looks like it's all on the right track. Thanks for the update. Stay safe my friend.

I agree with you on that loader, if the tests are positive go for it, looks don't affect the mechanical end.👍👍

Progress! Love it! Keep going ETR!!!

That’s a good machine. I’m assuming it is built off the 325 excavator platform. Which I have spent many hours on. If it is not sloppy in the boom, stick, etc…. (Line boring is very expensive) No crazy problems with the drivetrain or hydraulics, at a fair/decent price. I would hop on it. I would also consider the fact that it looks like it might be a pre tier 4 emissions machine. And that’s a huge plus! CAT in my opinion has the best parts availability or next day availability. But they are quite proud of their part$….Love what your doing! Your positive outlook is very refreshing.

I enjoy the vlogs i like the equipment talk and rail fanning

You’re absolutely right about being careful unloading centerbeam flats; you have to unload both sides so you don’t have a side-to-side load unbalance, or they WILL tip over! Same deal loading them.

Brian, you’re amazing! (Hope your two stepping with the Mrs went well, after all, she’s the boss) LOL Ya, you can only magnetize steel to a small point, you need the electro coil going through the whole chunk of steel in order to pick up wide pieces, as I’m sure you found out. That Cat material handler looked pretty good other than the catwalk being bent down but that’s an easy fix. I was very proud of you when I heard you mentioned about getting an oil analysis done, both on the engine and hydraulic, I always was a true believer in this while purchasing and repairing heavy equipment, once you get the baseline and it really can tell a story. (Getting ahold of the service records wouldn’t hurt either). Looking forward to hearing your next report. Wish I were closer to help out, Ron

Another great video Brian thank you very much. After you showing us all that I agree the long magnet should be the way to go and I think you’re definitely on the right track of steel handling. The sales calls are hard when they are cold. Right now it seems any thing with rail and money savings is the way to go. Thank you again for the video . It’s nice to see the progress. Please remember Roman wasn’t built in a day. Keep your chin up things are looking good.

I enjoy the trial’s and tribulations of working out the details, too often folks will make a bad decision only because they didn’t do the research. Best of luck and thank Mrs ETR for the idea of, A week in the life.

Retired crane operator here. Swing is not an issue once you learn how to check it. The stop swing movement is called Swing Check

I'm excited to see you turning the corner from the initial development of the idea into a profitable business. Bringing the transload customers to your business is a clever approach because you get exposure to far more customers than just those connected to your rail spurs. It's hard work but keep it up because it will pay off. I spent several months developing my business to manufacture journal lubricating pads for plain bearing (aka friction bearing) railcars and locomotives. The previous makers stopped making them a couple decades ago but there are hundreds of railroads that still run them and there was a big need. It was a long process to figure out how to make the looped cotton fabric and streamline the process enough to be profitable. After a few months we had a successful manufacturing business in our basement and continue to serve historic railroads all over the country and internationally.

I honestly think a material handler and a magnate would be the best option. The long magnate you mentioned is probably best for these, so you can grab more surface area, or if there are magnates designed for coil wire, then that's what you need. Trying to engineer something when the right tool already exists is just crazy. The customer is willing to work with you while you get set up... Get the right equipment, even lease it if you have to, and get that customer serviced!

Sure hope and pray your success Mr. Typhoon!, would love to know you as the owner of a steel hauling railroad!, I know someday you will have steel coming in and scrap going out just as you thought God bless good luck looking forward to your next episode

Brian, this is the finance department. Be sure to keep track of every expense you have, including milage when you are going to auctions, and milage when you are going to shoot video for youtube. Run the largest loss you can now, so you can deduct it from your taxes when you do start generating transload revenue. If your trip to Florida is generating revenue you use to pay the property taxes then your trip to Florida is a legit part of your business, and your hotel costs should be a loss against future profits. I promise you the big guys are doing this, the small guys should do it too.

Good to see another update, Brian. You're going in the right direction in drumming up future customers and explaining to us how you're going about it. What concerns me is your track rehabilitation. Have you re-connected that piece of rail you and Graham took off during the tie replacement and has there been any ongoing work with the track? I know you are, right now, a one-man-gang with this, but it concerns me seeing you out there by yourself which I addressed in an earlier video to you. Keep forging ahead and we're all pulling for you. Stay focused and stay safe, my friend.

Great video Brian, great ideas,that peice of equipment at the scrap yard would be good choice,very versatile for your needs.That heavy fork lift would work for flat goods.Matt at diesel creak seems to have good luck with equipment that doesn't look very good. Best wishes Iam rooting for yor🚂👍

Hey Brian, I've got some insight as a flatbed truck driver to share with you. I like material handler, you can't beat it for its versatility with the different attachments it can work with. I'm not trying to reinvent your wheel but I think we can do better than the magnet for this particular application. As you found out, you don't get a good engagement between the magnet and the slinky which caused the deformity in the coil. Some shops wouldn't raise an eyebrow over where some would reject the coil, maybe the whole load. Numerous shops I've been have slings specific to lifting coils. One of these coupled to the rotator on the material handler would be ideal.

Looking forward to more information and seeing things develop!

Long magnet is the way to go. Forklift will only work if the load is the right way around. I do worry about your temporary repairs which is then considered as an alright repair.

Been wondering what's been happening prayers going forward for you both.

Remember No Customer is an unimportant customer. Some of these customers are "smaller operations" of larger corporations and that larger corporation might like 👍 your personal business and you might gain more business 😉 via word of mouth. Keep up the good work 👏!

sure hope to see more vids, and some progress toward profitability.

Back in the mid ‘60’s my Dad’s car stereo shop had a material handler…me.

Can't wait to see the 2021 moving cars!

Great job!

I still say keep with rail car storage to help with extra money on the side. Might not be much, but it's better than having a week or 2 with no income. I also suggest you look into owning your own flatbed trailer fleet. That way you can make money from leasing the trailers, the trans-load, & car storage (if pursued). Who knows, maybe after a couple of years you could build an engine shed for 2021, a on-site office & rebuild 2021 to comply with EPA regulations (while benefiting from fuel economy from newer engines), and doing rehab/upgrades to areas of track that need it with room to spare.

Brain you have a wonderful imagination. Your Washington state subscribers..agree with you copy plans for a old Pennsylvania interloading tower and build one.........WoW a ETR CONVENTION....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYES

got one for ya, pipe with a chain inside to pick up and move those coils, that is, for the coils that do not have obstruction on the ends. you could weld some angle iron longways, to the inside of the pipe used for moving those coils to strengthen the pipe. coils might be less likely to deform if you are able to slide a re-inforced pipe through them.

Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed.👍👀

Instead of magnets have you considered a steel coil c-hook arrangement? Kind of a boxy "C" shaped hook made out of box steel or sometimes just thick plate, usually the bottom of the "C" is longer than the top, the top being about half the length as the bottom. The idea is the long bottom goes into the center of the coil and spans the entire width of it thus supporting it and eliminating deformation, while the shorter top if the "C" is above the coil and about midpoint so when suspended from a crane, material handler, or grapple truck in your current case, the load is balanced. Simple, no electricity, no moving parts. You could probably just burn one out of scrap plate to meet your exact requirements, weld a length of pipe cut in half on top of the bottom "C" section to spread the load and not damage the wire rod. Only down side I can see is if the coils come in transverse (opening on the side) in the gondola this wouldn't fit between the railcar and load. If they come in opening front to back, this should would work easy. Or so I think. Just a thought anyway. Excited to see what happens next with the ETR. Thanks for bringing us along.

Good luck with finding another peice of equipment man!!

Great video

Used CAT, just operate to see how it is. You don't know if there's any leaks if nothing works or you'll be able to see leaks while it's running. No different at an auction. The oil analyst I think is stretching it. Cool update!

Scott from Accounting: Good work boss. Save your receipts. Proud of ETR!

The round magnet is a donut wrapped in copper. you need a long barstyle coil to get the magnetism the length of the coil. To project more magnetic field would require a bigger generator. Also trying to lift coil steel with a plate between the magnet and coil is the basics of a transformer so the power might be being dissipated by the load too.

I’d like to check that operation out sometime. I’m working up near the airport in Columbus on a big bridge. Greetings from lucasville, Ohio

Brian I would look into the material handler with a on wheels. That big forklift would work also for structural steel. when everything lines up you'll be very busy and making some working capital to improve the rest of the railroad. Looking forward to future developments.

I enjoyed this type of video.

I see things are picking up. :) Looks good.

If your yard is capable of round tracking for North North fork southern to pull thuogh and switch back around , thanks BigAl California. This is my first time ever hearing trans loads or what did you call it , praise Jesus Christ grace grace grace amen 🙏 thanks BigAl

Yeah, this is looking good. A 30,000lb forklift for steel or lumber and you can lift a lot of stuff and that excavator thing with a few different heads could be golden.

To transfer magnetism, you need alternating ferrous & non-ferrous materials. See magnetic chucks for machine tools as examples...

The material handler is what you need. Not convinced about the magnet unless you can get one that gets a better grasp on coils and other metal products. I still like the idea of a C shaped hook that will lift the coil from the inside. Cheap and safer.

Your circular magnet most likely has concentric poles. You get magnetic lift where the steel you want to lift forms a path between the two poles. So you need to think about to use steel “pole pieces” to take the magnetism from one pole of the magnet to one side of the coil, and another pole piece to take the other pole to the other side of the coil. Then each turn of the slinky completes the connection between the magnet poles and creates the lift. This is much easier to do with something other than a circular magnet.

Also. U could just build a L rod that the graple holds at the top. With a peice of i beam for the graple to hold with a cap plate. Make that half the width of the coil .go out one side then down 3 feet then a peice of angle iron 5/8inch or more with the 45 degree part facing up. Weld that 18 inches down from the top of the i beam then run a stablized bar from the bottem of the down peice to the centet or 75% out to the middle of the angle iron to keep it from deforming and u could loqd and lift using the peice and the graple with no other hands.

With the ever increasing centralization in the ChiMatrix, small last miles sure take work!

I love the brain Storming .

Brian, everything ok? We're missing getting caught up with the latest events. Prayers that all is good with you and Mrs. ETR! Be well, be safe!

Great job Brian

Right Trac it's a cat machine should be easy to get parts and service for that machine thanks for the update Brian

Thanks for the update. Jon, on the U.P. Pacific Coast Line, Santa Barbara Sub., M.P. 404.5

I’m rooting for you!

Copy the junk yards lead. Put huge chain on that magnet and go to work. If that machine checks out. Does it have a motor connection for the magnet. Great progress today!