Hello. I'm modeling 1969/1970 in Appalachia and will have run through freights. I also want to have at least a few industries that use clay (kaolin). How was this material transported during this time? Would I be able to use tank cars for this? What are some industries that use Kaolin? Would the clay travel to my location via through freight or a more lowely way freight?
Freelancer with an interest in N&W, SCL, and other 70s railroads
Kaolin is used in the paper industry to make glossy paper. Also used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, porcelain (glaze on china), rubber and paint
Kaolin can be transported as a dry bulk power in covered hoppers, or in a pre-mix 'slurrey' in tank cars. The trend I have seen in the MN/WI paper industry is a move to the slurry in tank cars. Based on your 69/70 time frame, I suspect you could use both types of transport.
Paper mills are big users of the product. It would be transported in a through fright to the closest yard that your locals work out of. At that point the car would be moved by a local train that switches the industry.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Back in the 1980s I was excited to see what looked like a 40 foot box car with full roof walk, from the Hampton Avenue bridge overlooking the C&NW's Butler Yard, north and west of Milwaukee WI
Closer examination showed that it had roof hatches cut into the roof (which explains the roof walk) and was in Kaolin service. If memory serves it was a Southern boxcar, and not a new one either, obviously converted. I know the Southern had such cars. In fact here is one modeler's kitbash (go to the site and scroll to the bottom of the page):
http://appalachianrailroadmodeling.com/soumodels.html
Dave Nelson
Here is a link to a Kaolin facility near Millidgeville, Ga, I know I have driven buy dozens of times but never realized how big it was until google maping it
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Kaolin+Road,+Gordon,+GA&sll=32.847741,-83.351696&sspn=0.019181,0.054331&g=Kaolin+Road,+Gordon,+GA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kaolin+Rd,+Gordon,+Wilkinson,+Georgia+31031&ll=32.881646,-83.339952&spn=0.001788,0.005429&t=h&z=18
If I can use tank cars for slurry and even box cars for powdered material, then I'll surely try to include a paper mill. Does anyone one know what particular tank car models were used for transporting this slurry?
Something in the 40' 16,000 gal range, non-insulated. Walthers 922-7233 would be a good starting point.