Interesting prototype

[Anonymous]

When you drive up I5 through central California, you can see old SP 85 foot box cars used to haul cotton.

[thirdrail1]

Illinois Central used to ship Chicago's blizzards to New Orleans all the time in drop-bottom gons. Snow has to be shipped in cars with a bottom outlet to let the water drain when the snow melts.

[CHESSIEMIKE]

For a seasonal flavor, try shipping snow from the north to points south. CSX does and Conrail did!!

[SSW9389]

In the late 1980s the Purina Plant in Flagstaff, AZ was using D&TSL 8D High Cubes to ship pet food!

[thirdrail1]

What you saw is not all that uncommon. With the advent of J.I.T. processes, there is a surplus of 86 ft. high cubes for the auto industry. BNSF and UP have published per car rates on hay and there have been some strange moves, like hay from Montana to Florida! The Arizona & California was even handling export hay in containers from Blythe, CA., to L.A. for export to Japan.

[Anonymous]

the other day while driving through washington state, I saw 2 86' high cube 8 door box cars sitting on a siding at a small feed mill. I was wondering what 2 auto parts cars would be doing way out there. when i got closer i saw that the cars were full of rectangular bales of hay! if you wanted something different for your railroad, this might work. have any of y'all seen anything strange like this out there on the rails? maybe thay would make a good scene for a model railroad :)