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The ones without unloading gear are for carrying grain. Without the unloading gear and voids under the cargo holds for the belts they can carry more tonnage of high volume / low weight cargoes out the Seaway.

The Equinox ships designed as gearless bulk freighters are designed to have open space where the self-unloading loop belt equipment is on the self-unloading versions. The gearless ships are designed for an easier conversion to a self-unloader, requiring the reconfiguration of the cargo hold and installation of the loop belt and deck equipment.

Why were a few of the Algoma Central Equinox class ships built without self unloading equipment? It would seem that this would limit their cargo abilities?