I’m pretty new to the US railroad scene (I’m from the UK and previously modelled UK and dabbled with Swiss stuff), I’ve just about got diesel loco identification sussed but the freight stock is a bit of blank for me. I’m considering a model of the Guilford Lowell Hill branch, almost a diorama.
The three industries on the line are apprently the Wittemore Perlite and Vermiculite plant (http://www.whittemoreco.com/ a hopper can be seen at the extreme right of their homepage pic), the Voltek polyolefin foam factory (http://www.voltek.com/) and Noveon Inc who make lubricants (http://www.lubrizol.com/ although they don’t actually seem to be next to the line)
Most of the traffic seems to be plastics pellets in flat sided ribbed hoppers. Can anyone identify the ones in these pics?
In that pic, the nearer hopper looks like a 4750 CuFt. Pullman Standar PS2-CD 3-Bay Covered Hopper Car as modelled in HO by Intermountain. Fits the bill, 18 ribs, curved roof and high bottom to the sides.
The first car may be a pellet or resin car, the second doesn’t look like a pellet car.
These are not pellet cars, they are grain or soda ash or potash or fertilizer. not the long trough hatches on the one shot that shows the roof. Key indicator of grain type car and not pellets.
The first car might be a pellet car, but the 2nd is probably not. Its a CSX car and pellets are almost NEVER moved in railroad owned cars, they are almost always moved in private owner cars. It also app
Thanks for the assist with the hoppers. I’ll admit it — this armchair engineer owns mothballed 30 - 40 yr old equipment and I’m caught in the vortex of a time warp. Bet you couldn’t guess that most of it is Athearn could you? I’ll even confess to the world that when the pike “went bankrupt” that only 3 pieces had Kadees…horn-hook city ! But hanging with the experts on this forum is (slowly) teaching this old dog new tricks.
talltim :
I’m already looking forward to the future pics of your work. Are you talented in the weathering department ?
While plastic pellet hoppers with rib sides are not rare, the vast majority of plastic pellet hoppers I have seen are the ACF/ARI Center-Flow type cars.
For plastic pellet cars, you can use Walthers NSC covered hoppers, Atlas 5701 cubic foot ACF Center-Flow hoppers, or Athearn ACF Center-Flow hoppers. The Athearn model is one of a smaller, older car.
For minerals and grains, you can use the Athearn/MDC FMC covered hoppers, Athearn PS covered hoppers, Intermountain covered hoppers, Atlas Trainman 4650 cubic foot covered hoppers. For heavier minerals, you can use the Atlas Trainman 3650 cubic foot Center-Flow hoppers.
I’ve been thinking about what has been sid about plastics pellet cars and perhaps they recieve other raw mateirals (not grain!), thus the types of car used.