Freelance 2013-2 (MAW)

[FCIN]

jwb's posting reminded me that many grain handling facilities these days have evolved into year-round farm supply centers that also receive covered hoppers of fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, potash, urea, to name a few) and tank cars of liquid fertilizers, including anhydrous ammonia. Thus you have more or less year-round inbound and outbound rail traffic. Fertilizers in the planting season and grain shipments during the harvest season and in many cases year-round.

Such facilities can be found all over the mid-west and the Rydman & Fox operation at Frankton, IN (owners/operators of the Indian Creek Railroad) is one such example. If you look at the Google aerial view link in my previous posting and follow the track to the northwest, you'll see their fertilizer facility. I've been by there a couple of times in the late winter/early spring and seen numerous tank cars and covered hoppers of fertilizer on line waiting to be unloaded.

A common site around such facilities are ammonia tank trailers such as these:     Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any HO scale models of such tanks, although someone else may be aware of some. There would also be fertilizer storage sheds and trucks for delivering and spreading fertilizer such as see in this view:     Also note the large ammonia storage tank which would be identical to the LP Gas tanks available from Walthers.

Just some ideas for a mid-west agriculture related rail line.