Tank Train info and OMYA Kaolin tank cars and ACF hoppers

[slimster99]

Sorry, I've got no pics myself of the Covered Hoppers or the TankTrains, I never really get a chance to get out railfanning.  The VRSandRutland yahoo group would be a good place to ask for them.  That's where I've learned all the info.

Here are a couple pics I found on NERAIL:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=200606190632484666.jpg&byrail%3A7%3AVermont_Railway
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=2006050118225614297.jpg&byrail%3A10%3AVermont_Railway


John

[bsoplinger]

Thanks for the pointer to those pics, the first one shows cars just like the ones I'd seen, white but dirty and well grimed up.

Found this one by the same person showing a string of OMYA tank cars:
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=200604080659334134.jpg

I was/am curious about these white tank train tank cars. The only photo's I've ever seen are of the black ones. I don't even know if the Con-Cor produced Quaker State tank train cars are prototypical. This one train was the first time I'd ever seen tank train cars in person. Its quite an amazing bit of engineering, to be able to hook up just once and be able to empty many tank cars at once.

[Lenny53]

Yes, Atlas did the OMYA cars (the Kaolin tankcar)... I have several. If they are on a CP train in the east, they are loaded at the OMYA plant in Perth, Ontario. CP train #153 (if it is still running under that number) usually picks up a block of them. A container train with a head-end block of tankers... only on CP!

The OMYA Perth/Lanark operation produces Calcium Carbonate, not Kaolin.  I see blocks of OMYA tank cars all the time on CP moving between Montreal and Smith Falls, in a number of various reporting marks, in Limestone Slurry service.  Does anyone know of the facility where they are loaded or of the destination(s)?

   

[lock4244]

I know Lenny, I've been at the plant. But Atlas refers to them as "Kaolin" tankcars, so do I. The Omya cars all carry "lime slurry" identification on them.

[cv_acr]

I know Lenny, I've been at the plant. But Atlas refers to them as "Kaolin" tankcars, so do I. The Omya cars all carry "lime slurry" identification on them.

Kaolin is another type of clay, also transported as slurry, so the tankcars used for limestone clay and kaolin are the same. Would be just as easy if Atlas just referred to them as clay slurry cars I suppose.

[Lenny53]

The Omya cars all carry "lime slurry" identification on them.

Not all.

[bsoplinger]

The Omya cars all carry "lime slurry" identification on them.

Not all.

Wonder if that explains the group of 6 OMYA tankers followed by the 2 ACF followed by the half dozen Tank Train cars followed by either 2 or 3 more OMYA tankers. That is, that the last group weren't slurry cars? Or do they all carry slurry even if they don't say so?

[Lenny53]

Wonder if that explains the group of 6 OMYA tankers followed by the 2 ACF followed by the half dozen Tank Train cars followed by either 2 or 3 more OMYA tankers. That is, that the last group weren't slurry cars? Or do they all carry slurry even if they don't say so?

I do not know what is carried in the hopper cars, does anyone here know what the "S" stands for under the OMYA logo?

[cv_acr]

I do not know what is carried in the hopper cars,

Clay or clay-based pigments in powdered form.

[tmlbk]

MB Klien Trains has these on sale for $7.99.  Picked up three yesterday.

[bsoplinger]

MB Klien Trains has these on sale for $7.99.  Picked up three yesterday.

Hmm, I should have mentioned that, once I got this thread started and someone mentioned that Atlas had made both the hopper and the Kaolin tank car, I went looking. Found MBK had 2 road numbers on sale.

I was surprised by the detail on these cars. I'd ignored them before because I've seen the detail on the standard Atlas ACF, its 70's or 80's tooling and those cars show their age. So just thought the Atlas 'pressuraid ACF' was the old car with the little thingies on the bottom. Not at all, these cars have nice metal (or very very thin plastic) walkways and the detailing is very nice. Definitely not the old ACF car at all.