Looking for info on sulfur loading in Alberta

Hi all, I’m looking for information and/or pictures or links to the general area of Alberta, Canada. I would like to model sulfur loading in Alberta. I have many Sultran gondola cars from Intermoutain but have yet to see how it is loaded. I would like to see how it is done so I can decide if I will model the loading or off-loading of sulfur on my layout.

Thank you all for any help you can offer.

Happy Hoildays to ALL! May you be blessed with happiness, wellness and lots of train excitement for the new year.

John

If you’re looking for info on Canadian trains, why not put it in your caption - it may get responses from people knowledgable about the subject.

Google maps, Live maps…

David B

I think the mention in the caption of the province of Alberta would indicate this might be in Canada.

I just ripped through a pile of sites and most photos show the sulphur AFTER it has been loaded, I don’t think it is very complex method, will try to hunt some more info down.

His original post said Looking for . . . He edited the post after my reply. I realize Alberta is a province - even though I once dated an Alberta!! No disrespect meant & I don’t think the orig poster took it that way.[:)]

Get your sulphur loaders here.

http://www.saferack.com/

How about a capstan or rail car mover?

http://www.saferack.com/capstans-and-railcar-movers.cfm

Tatans and Ivan, no harm done guys, thanks Ivan for the hint.

Tatans, I had the same luck as you. Idiot that I am, I lived in Alberta for 2 years and never took the opportunity to go to any of these places. I know that there is a facility near Rocky Mountain House that CN services and they also feed another location north of Edmonton. CP service 2 locations closer to Calgary.

Markpierce, thanks for the site, very usefull info there.

I’m trying to design a facility that I could maybe model on my HO scale, so I need the type of building with a loader(how it is loaded in the gondolas) and track schematics, balloon track or several sidings?

Thanks everyone, keep the info coming. I am saving everything to a file in my “layout” folder.

Not as helpful as I thought because I was thinking of liquified sulphur loaded into tank cars (the common way to transport sulphur) rather than dry sulphur in gondolas (may I presume they were covered to protect the load?).

Mark

No, solid (not in powder form) sulphur is shipped in open gondolas

http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/Customers/New+Customers/What+We+Ship/Sulphur.htm

Mark

Hey Mark, Great sites & info!!! Can I PM you the next time I need some research done?[:-^]

John,

Now after rereading this thread to date, I believe you need to acquire some liquid sulphur carrying tank cars to supplement those gondolas.

Mark

You would be surprised just how many gas plants(the sulphur is extracted from the natural gas) are in Alberta, I was amazed at the amount of very large facilities and I worked in the patch for a 100 years.

I knew you knew that Alberta was in Canadaland, I was just being snotty. Merry Christmas amigo ! (or is that gringo?)

I already do have a few and I will be buying some of the new Athearn ones coming out in the new year.

If this link works, this is what I have:

http://www.sultran.com/stars/sultran/_index.php?SID=939ec8a62b9bbfd3e292170effa71dc2

On the left, click on “Photo Gallery”, then click on “Sultran Railcars”.

This is the raw form that goes from Alberta to the Port of Vancouer(2 locations).

Hello,

great subject cndash9. You mentioned that Athearn has the proper gondolas for hauling sulphur. I was wondering which gondolas you were thinking about.

Thank you.

Frank

The gondolas are from Intermountain, Roundhouse also made a run of them but the older style. I believe Athearn have the tank cars.

John

I do not know how they are loaded, but on the west coast the open top cars are dumped using a rotary dumper. I remember when I lived in Calgary seeing the unit Sultrain pass below my office window once a week. As an aside, at the oil company I worked for at the time, we occasional drilled sour gas wells primarily for their H2S content, from which the elemental sulphur would be derived.

Bob