So, I admit it. my favorite car out there is the covered hopper. 40’, 54’ or even the big monster 65’ babies. Give me 2-bay, Rib-side, smoothside, ACF, 4 - Bay monsters…Ah yes.Ok,
Ok, its not quite a fetish, but close. I do run just about every type of car on my layout, but I do enjoy the covered hoppers. I have quite a few industries that are served by them and run the various types and sizes.
But it got me thinking how many types of loads are there for a “covered hopper”. There is grain, cement, plastic pellets. I got those all ready, but is there anything else… could be a major industry or obscure. Any ideas?
So, I figured I would tap the collective knowledge here and ask. I would like to add to my industry list and have some hoppers that can go into service. Ideas?
These materials popped into my mind…sugar, flour and potash. Silica sand for making glass arrives in covered hoppers…I’m sure there are plenty other commodities that travel in covered hoppers.
And COAL. A shipper in Shamokin PA sends antracite coal in covered hoppers to be used in water filtration plants. The antracite granules are used in some of the sand filters.
Guys that great. I new there had to be more, I just couldnt thtink what it would be. There are some ideas un there for sure. And some of those might work perfect for a “smaller” industry, which is what need… 1 or 2 car loads.
Eric, remind me never, ever to play Scrable with you. [;)]
There’s a large Owens-Corning fiberglass plant in Eloy, Arizona that receives powdered fiberglass ingredients by covered hopper. Among other things, this plant makes liners for swimming pools. You can see this plant from I-10, and there’s a huge fiberglass swimming pool liner on display in front of it.
Here we ship car loads of casting sand for making the individual moulds in specialist castings… this would probably make an opportunity for a nice small industry… the occasional covered hopper of sand, gons of steel or iron pigs or boxcars of alluminium pigs. Probably some other loads as well if not anything going out by rail.
How about dried blood or dried fish meal. Both disgusting. [xx(] Carbon Black is filthy stuff.
A lot of plastic granules seem to travel in pressure differential cars.
Specialised sands are also used in making (silicone) sealants… ours are delivered by road tanker and blown into silos but they could just as well be in a suitable car… these sands are incredibly fine and have to be kept dry. I thik that we get about 1 tanker a day… I think that Athearn did a Dow Corning “Centreflow”… this would probably do the job.
My dad was Traffic Manager for Martin Marietta Chemicals, whose chief product was Magnesium Oxide. This product is shipped in covered hoppers, and is used in everything from animal feed to cigarette filters, to fire bricks, etc.
Moving MgO is tricky business, because it can be very volatile when exposed to water. The cars have to be thoroughly cleaned before they can be washed (if that makes any sense) and then completely dry before re-loading. I recall an instance where a hopper caught fire due to a water mixture, and there was nothing the fire company could do but watch it. The cleaning process would make an added operations angle for you on the layout.
And there can be as many uses for grain as there are kinds of grain. Here on Delmarva, we get huge amounts of feed grains in for use by the poultry industry. There are elevators over here that would rival any on the great plains.
I feel the same way about tank cars. [;)] My main industry is a chemical plant. I also like the covered hoppers as they can carry chemicals in or out of the plant.[^]
One I forgot is raw glass marbles. There was a plant near Minersville PA that received covered hoppers filled with clear glass marbles that they melted down to make glass jars.
This is off topic for your question but I fill those covered hoppers with plaster to weight them. It easily forms to the shape and if any gets on the oustide can be wiped off with a damp rag. In some cases it makes great weathering also. When that train starts you better watch the slack action!
