02-02-2022, 01:46 PM
Besides fiberglass insulation manufacture, here's another user of cullet:
Paint companies.
More than 10 years ago, a glass dump pit was installed on local GWI RR property. Open hoppers of cullet were brought in, spotted over a loading chute, and dumped. A skid-steer loader would drive down a ramp into the pit, scoop, then drive up the ramp and onto a concrete loading dock. It could dump into dump trucks from there. The skidder was stored in a locked 20 ft shipping container when not in use. EAMX hoppers were use, repaints from a midwest shortline whose name I don't recall at the moment.
I had seen the hoppers spotted there a few times. I finally got lucky and found a truck there from Capitol Paving, IIRC. Talked with the driver, he said they delivered to a site 15 miles north for a paint company, where the glass was ground down. This was used for highway striping paints. I assume this is what would make it reflective. Not sure of the relationship between the paving company and the paint mfr, maybe they were just hired for transport of the materials.
Sadly, this only lasted for a few years, maybe 2 - 3. I remember wondering whether the 2008 recession killed off this project.
Here are a couple of view links from Salem, Oregon, below.
Please note that none of the rail cars spotted there were using the glass pit.
May 2012 google street view 2620 Myrtle Ave NE
930 Hickory St, Sept 2014
Interestingly, if you switch to aerial view, you will see that the loading dock is at 45 degrees to the ramp down to the pit.
Lesson from all this, for many others you are the local expert.
Take pictures whenever you can because it might not be there the next time!
Paint companies.
More than 10 years ago, a glass dump pit was installed on local GWI RR property. Open hoppers of cullet were brought in, spotted over a loading chute, and dumped. A skid-steer loader would drive down a ramp into the pit, scoop, then drive up the ramp and onto a concrete loading dock. It could dump into dump trucks from there. The skidder was stored in a locked 20 ft shipping container when not in use. EAMX hoppers were use, repaints from a midwest shortline whose name I don't recall at the moment.
I had seen the hoppers spotted there a few times. I finally got lucky and found a truck there from Capitol Paving, IIRC. Talked with the driver, he said they delivered to a site 15 miles north for a paint company, where the glass was ground down. This was used for highway striping paints. I assume this is what would make it reflective. Not sure of the relationship between the paving company and the paint mfr, maybe they were just hired for transport of the materials.
Sadly, this only lasted for a few years, maybe 2 - 3. I remember wondering whether the 2008 recession killed off this project.
Here are a couple of view links from Salem, Oregon, below.
Please note that none of the rail cars spotted there were using the glass pit.
May 2012 google street view 2620 Myrtle Ave NE
930 Hickory St, Sept 2014
Interestingly, if you switch to aerial view, you will see that the loading dock is at 45 degrees to the ramp down to the pit.
Lesson from all this, for many others you are the local expert.
Take pictures whenever you can because it might not be there the next time!