Some time ago I picked up an all-door box car lettered for Celotex Corp. Plan A was to repaint for a local (to my layout) lumber producer, but instead I think I'll keep it as is for an interesting source of inbound traffic. I've done some research and found that Celotex was (is) a manufacturer of building products, and was involved in significant litigation in the 1980s due to the use of asbestos in its products.
Query--where were Celotex's manufacturing plants located? I'm one of those slightly anal modellers who enjoys creating fairly detailed waybills for my layout, and I'd like to know where that big blue car is coming from.
I found this:
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-441516
Marrero, LA
There may or may not be others, but you only need one on a waybill.
Ed
It looks like Celotex Corporation has been swallowed up in the all-too-frequent mega-corporate mergers & acquisition situation.
From what I can find out Celotex took over Certainteed Corporation in 1938 but in 1948 Certainteed wrested control of Celotex through a proxy battle.
Their headquarters moved from St. Louis to New York to Chicago to Ardmore, PA to Valley Forge PA, and there was a R&D lab in Paoli PA.
Certainteed has 64 plants throughout the country but I don't know how many of them were former Celotex plants.
Today the whole shebang is owned by Saint Gobain of France.
It seems like any company that had any involvement with asbestos litigation has taken steps to keep out of the public eye. I know in the 1980s Celotex was still the prevalent sheathing material when I was involved with construction. Seems like they had developed a cement coated board for prefab housing and that's where the asbestos was used.
http://www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com/about/history.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CertainTeed
Have fun, Ed
They had a plant in Sunbury Pa until 4-5 years ago. It was rail served by depending on era PRR/PC/CR/NS ---- Ken
Present-day Celotex Corporation is a data reduction/technical writing shop in Florida with a staff of approximately 90. They specialize in writing operating manuals.
Apparently something like 20 years ago the Celotex Corporation established an asbestos remediation fund and then transferred all of their manufacturing operations (and cancer liability) to that fund. That action disconnected the Celotex name from all asbestos-related liability claims. Don't ask how, I don't have any legal training.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I recently saw a house under constructions covered with insulating sheathing labled Celotex which surprised me as I thought the company was long gone. As it happens the Celotex brand lives on, owned by Blue Ridge
http://www.blueridgefiberboard.com/premium-insulating-sheathing-energy-saving-r-values/
Dave Nelson
I believe Celotex all-door cars served a plant on the Northwestern Pacific, possibly at Ukiah, CA.
There was a large plant served by rail at Lagro, Indiana that made wall board. The building is still there and you can view it with one of the free satelite map programs like googlemaps. I think it's been closed at least 20 years now. The plant was served from the former Wabash mainline that runs between Detroit and St. Louis. The closest cities of any significance are Huntington, Indiana to the east and Wabash, Indiana to the west. The Wabash was leased in 1964 to Norfolk & Western and the line here is still very busy under Norfolk Southern.
Victor A. Baird
www.erstwhilepublications.com
A present-day product called Sound Board, which is made from compressed sugar cane and other vegetable fibers as insulation, is made by Celotex Corporation. Locally, it is sold by Home Depot, Lowe's, and two independent lumber dealers.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-440-1-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-1-2-Sound-Board-206136/202090212
cacoleA present-day product called Sound Board, which is made from compressed sugar cane and other vegetable fibers as insulation, is made by Celotex Corporation. Locally, it is sold by Home Depot, Lowe's, and two independent lumber dealers.
At my local Home Depot the pile of stuff called Sound Board looks suspiciously like Homasote.
Back in the 70's they had a plant in L'Anse Michigan, about half way between Marquette and Houghton on the shore of Lake Superior. It was served by Soo Line.