Top Gones?

[KevinD]

Caught a train race on the Elkhorn B&B camera this lunchtime, and what was unusual is the train on the near track with the SD70ACU and SD40-2 was 100% empty Top Gons and 90% of the cars had Shop/Do Not Load stickers on the side. Looked to me like a funeral train more than anything. I wonder where the fleet size of Top Gons stands nowadays. Since they need to be rotary dumped and lack rotary couplers, they only work well for Lamberts Point unloading where 2 cars are dumped simultaneously and then sent up that stubby kickback track. They are a bitch to unload at power plants as both ends of the car need to be uncoupled before dumped and then the train reassembled and advanced forward. I guess with coal down and a surplus of aluminum tubs that weigh less and carry more, the steel Top Gons are likely on their way out.