Modifying rail cars for proppant transportation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided herein for modifying a railcar to transport containerized proppant. Various examples are provided, including: stripping a rotary gondola railcar, stripping a gondola hopper railcar, installing or modifying a floor on a stripped railcar, installing container braces on a floor of a railcar, installing braces between the side walls of the railcar, installing struts between the side walls of the railcar using the beam of the container as a strut, creating a mold for foam reinforcement of a railcar, installing foam reinforcement in a railcar, and transporting a container of proppant using a modified railcar. Although these examples are described in relation to a coal railcar, they can be modified to use other types of railcars as well. These examples can also be combined together to form a method for modifying a railcar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for converting a coal-carrying railcar into a proppant-container-carrying railcar, comprising:
 removing at least one structural member of the railcar; and   installing a structure for supporting at least one proppant container.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing at least one structural member comprises removing structural members of the railcar associated with using a rotary-car dumper. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing at least one structural member comprises removing structural members of the railcar associated with discharging coal from the railcar via a hopper. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein installing a structure for supporting the at least one proppant container comprises installing a floor in the railcar. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein installing a structure for supporting the at least one proppant container comprises installing a foam block shaped to receive at least a portion of a proppant container. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein installing a structure for supporting the at least one proppant container comprises installing at least one capturing mechanism configured to engage at least one portion of the at least one proppant container. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein installing a floor in the railcar comprises installing a steel plate in the railcar. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein installing a floor in the railcar comprises installing a structural framework for supporting the at least one proppant container. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein installing a floor in the railcar comprises installing structural supports to the floor, the structural supports oriented such that they secure the at least one proppant container in place. 
     
     
         10 . A method for forming a foam block shaped to receive at least a portion of a proppant container, comprising:
 removing at least one structural member of a railcar having four sidewalls;   removing at least a portion of each of the four sidewalls;   installing a floor in the railcar;   pouring an expandable composition into the railcar; and   placing a lid on the railcar, such that the expandable composition expands up to the lid in at least one location.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the lid includes at least one protrusion shaped to form a cavity in the expanded foam for receiving a proppant container. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the lid includes at least one indentation shaped to form a protrusion from the expanded foam for securing the proppant container in place. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising embedding a support member in the expandable composition. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the embedded support member is fastened to a component of the railcar. 
     
     
         15 . A method for installing a foam block in a modified railcar, comprising:
 forming a foam block using a mold;   installing a plurality of anchors in the foam block;   lifting the foam block from a mold, using the anchors; and   placing the foam block into a modified railcar.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the modified railcar is a railcar with at least one structural member removed. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the modified railcar is a railcar with structural members forming four compartments, each compartment shaped to receive a single proppant container. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the modified railcar is a railcar with at least one angular sidewall removed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of forming a foam block using a mold comprises using a mold formed by:
 removing at least one structural member of a railcar having four sidewalls;   removing at least a portion of each of the four sidewalls; and   installing a floor in the railcar.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising installing a cap on the top of the railcar.