03-24-2014, 09:54 AM
Hi,
I'm actually in the process of revisiting my plans for a large cement plant.
I've been happy enough to talk with a fellow modeller whom is uncle worked at the plant. He's getting old and his memory don't serve him as it was in the past, but he said interesting stuff.
According to him, CN hauled gypsum in "Brown car" which were unloaded with a shaker. Historic photos show us brown cars, in fact they are 3-bay uncovered standard CN hoppers. What is common to carry gypsum in such unprotected cars? Would they have put some weather protection over the hoppers? Sound strange to me!
He also told us "black cars" were used to haul coal. Once again, is memory is right, those were Pennsylvania 70-ton coal hopper in black paint scheme. There's photographic evidence of it.
Where things get messy is how they unloaded both commodities. Insurance maps do indicate the coal unloading device, but not the gypsum. But if you follow the conveyor, it indicates it is used as "Gypsum & Coal Discharging". Well, that means the SAME conveyor was used for the coal AND the gypsum!!!! Sounds crazy to me. You don't mix your fuel with a primary ingredient of your final product! My guess is the conveyor was in fact a double conveyor, one part for gypsum and one part for coal. But that would means gypsum and coal were discharged from the cars into the same pit. Could it be possible to have, located side to side, to bins with a parallel conveyor?
Hope my questions makes sense!
Matt
I'm actually in the process of revisiting my plans for a large cement plant.
I've been happy enough to talk with a fellow modeller whom is uncle worked at the plant. He's getting old and his memory don't serve him as it was in the past, but he said interesting stuff.
According to him, CN hauled gypsum in "Brown car" which were unloaded with a shaker. Historic photos show us brown cars, in fact they are 3-bay uncovered standard CN hoppers. What is common to carry gypsum in such unprotected cars? Would they have put some weather protection over the hoppers? Sound strange to me!
He also told us "black cars" were used to haul coal. Once again, is memory is right, those were Pennsylvania 70-ton coal hopper in black paint scheme. There's photographic evidence of it.
Where things get messy is how they unloaded both commodities. Insurance maps do indicate the coal unloading device, but not the gypsum. But if you follow the conveyor, it indicates it is used as "Gypsum & Coal Discharging". Well, that means the SAME conveyor was used for the coal AND the gypsum!!!! Sounds crazy to me. You don't mix your fuel with a primary ingredient of your final product! My guess is the conveyor was in fact a double conveyor, one part for gypsum and one part for coal. But that would means gypsum and coal were discharged from the cars into the same pit. Could it be possible to have, located side to side, to bins with a parallel conveyor?
Hope my questions makes sense!
Matt
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/