Lumber Mill Question

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi all-
In looking at photos of lumber mills I’ve occasionally seen a covered hopper spotted at the mill. I know lumber mills normally use centerbeams, boxcars, and woodchip cars. But does anyone have an idea as to what they would be doing with a covered hopper? Just curious. Thanks.

Eric

2

Covered Hopper is more than likely full of sawdust

3

Good question. I have worked in the industry (forestry side though) all my life and can not recall any reason why a covered hopper would be there.

Around here all sawdust and chips are carried in open railway cars or more often special trucks that are also open, but have a tarp that goes over the top to reduce the amount of product that flies out.

All I can think of is the site has more than a sawmill, maybe plywood or other products and some of the consumables (like glues) are brought in by hopper car.

4

I’ve never seen it, and never heard of (or can imagine) a covered hoppers carrying wood waste. Without other information, I presume the railroad had dyslexia and delivered the wrong cars. Some one with authority, please “straighten me out.”

Mark

5

Shortlines have a tendancy to store cars waiting to go an industry anywhere they can put them. Perhaps if it is on a shortline the hopper is waiting to go somewhere else.

6

If there is a shortage of chip cars, use of hoppers is very common, for chips, bark , sawdust as there is now a great demand for these products.

7

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. One example of a covered hopper sitting at a lumber mill is on page 48 of the book “Rolling Dreams” by Jesse Burkhardt. It shows a hopper at the Hull-Oakes Lumber Mill at Dawson, Oregon on the SP. Somehow I doubt it was delivered by mistake. This is the only customer on this branch. There is also a regular woodchip car sitting there.

Eric

8

We use a wood pellet stove for extra heat [cheaper than propane]. While doing reseach on pellet companies, one site had a photo of their plant with a couple hoppers. Looked like part of their sawdust was delievered by rail… So, that may was there for sawdust

I don’t remember the name of the company

9

There seems to be a bit of vagueness here between covered hoppers and open hoppers???

I guess that with a covered hopper I would look at the outlets…

If they are open hopper type (like used for grain and stuff) they’d be good for small woodchip, and wood fuel pellets.

If they were spouts or pressure pipes they’d be good for glue in either powder or pellet form. I’d not thought of it but all the pressed board factories must ship the glue in the mix in somehow. Would be a give-away if the covered hopper came from one of the chemical companies.

Sawdust would be borderline due to it’s tendency to compact… it wouldn’t want to unload… but you definitely wouldn’t want to to get wet and form a gooey mess. Sawdust is one of those things you’d probably want to pump air into to “fluidise” it so that you can pump it out… it gets “vacuumed” out of plant that makes lots of it in an air stream…

The possibility of any car being parked waiting to go somewhere else is always good so long as what is in it isn’t a hazard to the location.

  • Stock cars are kept away from lots of things both because of their “spillage” and for the stock when loaded.
  • Icing plant and reefer loading areas tend to be kept apart and the cars will stay away from obvious issues.
  • Chemicals and fire/explosive risk are kept apart from other tings
  • That’s a start… most of it is pretty logical.

I think that they started to put nets and/or sheets over woodchip rail cars? Anyone know anything on this? It would make a loaded/unloaded car much easier if the net/sheet is left on.

TIA

[:P]

10

To me, the question arises as to the meaning of “lumber mill”. Does this mill just saw logs into lumber (saw mill), or does it produce structural lumber like trusses, moulding, press board, osb, etc. If so the covered hopper may be used for powdered glue. Ken