What would I need to model pulpwood unloading and woodchip car unloading with the n scale Walthers Superior Paper kit? Would Kaolin be shipped in more than tankers? What kind of box cars would be used for shipping finished paper rolls?
Kaolin could be in special boxcars, but chances are any one plant would recieve it in only one type of car. Tank cars would be most common.
Paper ships in almost any type of clean 40-60 ft, uninsulated boxcar. The caveat is that the plant will want to use only one type of boxcar for each type of paper product. So they might load paper for milk cartons in plain unequipped 50 ft boxcars (think RBOX type cars, 50 ft exterior post cars, bought by the IPD roads in the 1970’s). But they will want only those cars because they set up a pattern of loading and bracing in the car. If you give them different car types they have to change their loading pattern, may not be able to get all the shipment in the same number of cars and could have more damage to the paper. They might use one type of car for newprint and and another for brown kraft paper (bag paper).
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Pulp or Chips - Most rail pulp unloading I have seen in Wisconsin use modified gondolas or bulkhead flat cars. The pulpwood is unloaded with a crane. A lot of pulpwood is also trucked in as this is a local industry in the pulpwood growing area. I have not seen the rotary unloader, but some mills have be receiving ‘chips’ in them(I have seen the long/large chip cars in the Pacific NW). The mills around Wisconsin Rapids used to get chips in box cars from the Black Hills area of South Dakota. You will need to look at the local paper industry in your area.
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Kaolin - Kaolin can be shipped in a ‘slurry’(tank cars) or as a bulk dry powder(covered hoppers). Bentonite is also received(covered hoppers) sometimes. It can be used as a finisher or binder as well.
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Box Cars - Most mills want a ‘clean’ class 1 boxcar for paper loading. The mills are quite fussy about the the interior as the paper rolls can be damaged in transit. In your area you will see a lot of WC/SSAM 50’ boxcars that are extended height and reserved for paper loading. They will many times have a 10’ door opening so a forklift can load the car.
Jim Bernier
If you’ve not already done so, I recommend joining the
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PaperMillModelers/?yguid=82406884
Lots of useful information, and depending on what era you are modelling, you may be surprised at the variety of chemicals used in the paper making process, which can be delivered by rail.
Cheers,
Kev