Hey Maule, What's it Haul?

[basementcalling]

I thought this thread could be a place to ask about the loads usually carried by tank cars and covered hoppers with specific reporting marks. I for one am not knowledgeable enough about that topic to know for certain what commodities are shipped in which cars or by which companies.  I know enough not to spot an LPG tanker at the Kaolin rack in a paper mill, but deciphering the alphabet soup of modern tankers and hoppers is beyond my time limits.

People who know can post answers, so I'll start with this new Trainworks car. What's it haul?

[wcfn100]

I would assume cement.

Jason

[nkalanaga]

I Googled "Maule" and all I got, on the first couple pages, was a company that makes STOL aircraft.  I doubt that the car contains aircraft parts!

I tried a search on Maule Chemicals and got a lot of ads for business directories, none of which actually had any useful information.

There is also a Maule, Chile, but I doubt that that's any use.

[wcfn100]

Google 'Maule Industries' and click on 'images'.

Jason

[Miles]

Judging by the piping on the bottom, I'd wager it's for plastic pellet service. Especially if it's for an aerospace company that undoubtedly owns their own injection molding machines.

[central.vermont]

It seems to be an aggregate company located in Miami Fl. by the looks of these photo's.

Jon

[basementcalling]

Cool. I hope other mystery haulers get posted.

[C855B]

Nice! I love the slope-front industrial bomb. By the stack shroud shape and location it sort of says "Plymouth", but is that what it is? I can't seem to find any other pictures of this model.

The pressure-unloading piping on the car graphic implies a powder, so given the other info, like Jason said it is likely to be portland cement. I don't think plastics cars usually have this piping.

[Chris333]

Vulcan 45 tonner.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/maule55.jpg

[dmassey]

That's a pressure differential or PD railcar which is used to haul powdered products. The railcar is unloaded use low pressure high volume air pressure.  Each compartment has a valve that controls the flow of product into the unloading pipe.  The unloading pipe normally has a section that will flip to either side of the railcar.  This will allow the railcar to be unloaded regardless of which side the unloading pipe is on.  Pneumatic outlet covered hoppers are used to carry plastic pellet and are unloaded using vacuum systems. 

[nkalanaga]

Central.Vermont:  Thank you, and I agree, it is probably cement. 

[The Beer Baron]

I thought this thread could be a place to ask about the loads usually carried by tank cars and covered hoppers with specific reporting marks. I for one am not knowledgeable enough about that topic to know for certain what commodities are shipped in which cars or by which companies.  I know enough not to spot an LPG tanker at the Kaolin rack in a paper mill, but deciphering the alphabet soup of modern tankers and hoppers is beyond my time limits.

People who know can post answers, so I'll start with this new Trainworks car. What's it haul?

The pressure-unloading piping on the car graphic implies a powder, so given the other info, like Jason said it is likely to be portland cement. I don't think plastics cars usually have this piping.

No, they don't. Pellet hoppers have a round outlet for a 4" stainless flex hose to be attached - like so:


PD hoppers generally carry lighter powders like flour. Powdered cement is carried in shorter two-bay center flow hoppers like this because of cements' high density.



Google Images also turned up this:

Isn't fly ash in cement?

So info from Train Life: http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/385/28336/september-1995-page-14

[wcfn100]

PD hoppers generally carry lighter powders like flour. Powdered cement is carried in shorter two-bay center flow hoppers like this because of cements' high density.

Smaller PD cars did haul cement.  In fact they still do as Trinity Rail makes a 3230 PD hopper for this use.

edit:

Here's this car:



Unloading cement.





Jason

[dmassey]

Cement is hauled in both car types.  I have unloaded it from both types.  Car selection mostly depends on the equipment used to off load it at destination.  Hard to unload a PD car with a portable conveyor or pit and the same for a slide gate car with a air compressor. 

[SD452XR]

They also haul fly ash from power plants.