Editing Hopper car (section)

== Typical North American freight car weights and wheel loads ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="3" | Common net car loads
! colspan="2" | Gross car weights
! colspan="2" | Wheel loads
|-
! Short tons !! Long tons !! Tonnes
! Pounds !! Kilograms
! Pounds !! Kilograms
|-
| {{convert|80|ST|LT t|1|disp=table}}  || {{convert|220000|lb|kg|disp=table}} || {{convert|27500|lb|kg|disp=table}}
|-
| {{convert|100|ST|LT t|1|disp=table}} || {{convert|263000|lb|kg|disp=table}} || {{convert|32875|lb|kg|disp=table}}
|-
| {{convert|101|ST|LT t|1|disp=table}} || {{convert|268000|lb|kg|disp=table}} || {{convert|33500|lb|kg|disp=table}}
|-
| {{convert|111|ST|LT t|1|disp=table}} || {{convert|286000|lb|kg|disp=table}} || {{convert|35750|lb|kg|disp=table}}
|-
| {{convert|125|ST|LT t|1|disp=table}} || {{convert|315000|lb|kg|disp=table}} || {{convert|39375|lb|kg|disp=table}}
|}

Increase in wheel loads has important implications for the rail infrastructure needed to accommodate future grain hopper car shipments. The weight of the car is transmitted to the rails and the underlying track structure through these wheel loads. As wheel loads increase, track maintenance expenses increase and the ability of a given rail weight, ballast depth, and tie configuration to handle prolonged rail traffic decreases. Moreover, the ability of a given bridge to handle prolonged rail traffic also decreases as wheel loads increase.<ref name="carweights">{{cite web |last1=Bitzan |first1=John D. |last2=Tolliver |first2=Denver D. |date=October 2001 |title=The Economics of Heavy Hopper Cars |url=http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/html/mpc-01-127-4/pg2.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174647/http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/html/mpc-01-127-4/pg2.php |archive-date=23 July 2011 |access-date=2010-08-07 |website=Mountain-Plains.org |publisher=Mountain Plains}}</ref> The [[axle load]] is twice the wheel load.