BigDaddy,On another forum, it was mentioned that these hopper cars were used in the US Pacific Northwest, specifically in Washington state, hauling calcium carbonate between Omak and Woodland, WA. They were in RMGX, NIHX, and GACX reporting marks, and ran up to just a couple years ago.
SD70Dude...here is a loaded ore train about to enter the Dofasco plant in Hamilton...
I often saw those cars entering or leaving the Dofasco site, either on my way to work, at Stelco, next door, or on my way home. I don't recall ever seeing the same cars at Stelco, but I didn't work anywhere near the ore docks or the blast furnaces.i believe that most of Stelco's ore (and coking coal) came in on lake boats.
Wayne
Something else for you modellers to ponder, here is a loaded ore train about to enter the Dofasco plant in Hamilton through the "puzzle switch", as it was known to train crews:
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=44408
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
This design seems to be fairly unique to Canada. Besides the CN/ONT ore trains, the Wabush Lake mine up near Labrador City still used them as of a few years ago, their trains run on QNSL's track.
Inland Cement used a fleet of very similar cars in limestone service between Cadomin and Edmonton, Alberta until about 10 years ago, they have since been replaced with grey Trinity hoppers.
The main advantage of these cars is that they have lids, in Ontario and Quebec they hauled dusty dried iron ore concentrate, which had to kept dry for the duration of the trip.
Some cars were sold to an American owner and may still be in service:
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/11208
I don't think they made it anywhere yet, Rapido just announced them 2 days ago with 3D renderings.
In real life I don't think they came below the 48th parallel, but then I never lived around any mining areas that were not coal.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
They might have not made it to NC or the rest of the south but i will get me two of them.
Russell
Never heard of these before Rapido is going to do them.