sandpaper manufacturing

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

i’m looking for any information or pics of smaller sized rail served sandpaper manufacturing facilities from the 1970’s to now

thanks

mark

2

I doubt there were any served by rail in that era or that there was a smal manufacturer.

3

void

4

I would try to find a period “ThomCat”-- Thomas Catalog of industrial products. Don’t know if many libraries have kept their old series.

5

Google “how is sandpaper made”. If you can figure out what items go into the product, there is no reason you can’t use modeler’s license to have a siding with appropriate cars.

6

Sand can be be’ loaded in freight cars and sent to a sandpaper plant(like 3M did in St Paul). But by the 1970’s, most of the sand is truck delivered. Same with the paper/glue stock needed to make the finished product.

But this is YOUR railroad, and you can surmise that there is a rail served sand mine that can provide the basic product for you railroad. Also you can have rail delivered(box car) paper and glue(and ship the product via rail).

Jim

7

Now I am curious about why H2W picked sandpaper manufacturing as a rail-served industry to model.

Present involvement with sandpaper? Ancestor in the sandpaper business? Abrasive personal experience?

(I must admit that some of the modeling projects I pursue are because I haven’t ever heard of anyone doing them before…)

8

Lol good theories. i have been trying to figure an industry to build that would involve the2 bay 100 ton covered hoppers( not the walthers cement cars) 50’ boxcars and possibly the modern 40-50 tank cars

i live in central pa wher theres all types of 2 bay 100 ton covered hoppers carrying “frac” sand. some cars are new and some are older well weathered cars, most are csx with seaboard, L&N , SCL, B&O Chessie. AND BNSF, ATSF, BN , with these i have interrest in sand.

the majority of my boxcar fleet are BM, MEC and DH 50’ boxcars so those say “paper”

the overall length of the building would probaly be around 42 inches and about 12" deep

my thought is the lead track would run along side the building the first switch would be the siding to hold up to 2-3 boxcars of paper then the next switch would be the covered hopper (3-4) track and the end of the parrell lead track would be for tank cars 1-2

so thats what made me think of the sand paper industry

thanks

for the replies

mark

9

I had suggested above that you Google how sandpaper was made. One of the links I found is: http://woodworking.about.com/od/finishing/ss/SandpaperSteps_3.htm. I think you’ll find that there may not actually be “sand” in sandpaper. You will have to load those covered hoppers with other material, such as aluminum oxide or garnet.

10

You might want to consider an asphalt receiving facility. Shipped cold it is pellets about 1/2" by.1" and use covered hoppers. The.asphalt plant proper could be off or on line.

11

Mark.

Google Norton company, Worcester MA. Not just sand paper but all sorts of abrasive products from grinding wheels to sanding belts. Google earth would give you some overhead shots. In 1986 they were still rail served. Every morning there would be 20 to 30 trailer dumps waiting to enter to dump their loads into an underground hopper.

Pete

12

You might want to consider a composite roofing shingle plant. This plant gets some type of mineral (I don’t remember what) in 2 bay, covered hoppers and ships the product in boxcars. It gets asphalt by truck, but it would be reasonable to model one that gets asphalt by rail. For a while they received or shipped something in 86’ boxcars. I suspect they received the glass mat in them.

Satellite photograph

Website

13

hey thanks i never thought of Norton i saw saw pics of a norton abrasives covered hopper now i’m interrested

mark