HO-scale models were produced for Sherwin-Williams tank cars and covered hoppers. What type of commodities are typical for these cars? Should one assume that cars carrying the Sherwin-Williams name were used for product shipments from the plant rather than to it, or is that not always the case? During the 1970s would a plant like SW have made their own solvents and ship these to other industries? What solids would be produced to ship in covered hoppers?
Or, were these dedicated tank & cov hoppers in which SW only received items like lead, barite, titanium dioxide, and various solvents? (I've already consulted the OP-SIG industry database but don't see where paint factories shipped much else other than paint or paint products.
I used to see a tank car or two placarded for paint or paint related materials (1263) on BNSF's trains that travel between Barstow and Richmond, CA. They may still be on them. They only showed up occasionally and I do not see those trains much anymore. My guess is they are carrying a base that is mixed with pigments. They were UTLX 643000 and 671000 series tank cars. Here is a picture someone took of one. Titanium dioxide tank cars are fairly common on these trains.
At the Sherwin-Williams plant in San Diego, it looks like they just receive titanium dioxide by rail. Its Fernley, NV plant appears to get titanium dioxide and ship or receive something in tank cars about the same size as the paint tank cars I saw. It also appears they receive something in covered hoppers.
My guess is paint manufacturers buy the solvents from chemical or refining companies. They may do some processing but my guess is they have their suppliers make them to their specifications.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
mopacmikeWhat solids would be produced to ship in covered hoppers?
Just a guess, not sure what Sherwin-Williams actually used cover hoppers for but calcium carbonate is used to make white paint. It comes from mines near Barstow. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3830569,-116.9430402,410m/data=!3m1!1e3
No solvents in paint. Nearly all are water based today. Thank you federal government for screwing up another product that worked when used as direted.
Thank you Ericsp and Lone Wolf & Santa Fe for your responses and great information! It looks like I will just go with paint as a shipped commodity for any SW tank cars.
Still curious if SW would have used rolling stock like the Intermountain HO 48639-03 1958 Cubic Foot 2 Bay Covered Hopper With Open Sides, Sherwin Williams (SHPX) #25195 to ship product, or simply just to receive raw materials.
I am modeling the early 1970's when paint could still contain lead, and much of it was solvent-based.
A fellow club member worked for CSX and saw many of the 3 dome tank cars like the one from Tangent sent to their plant in Cleveland.
Rick Jesionowski
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