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Printing ink shipped in tank cars during the 70's and 80's?

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  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 10:26 AM

Larry, after watching this video, and other areas I've searched, such the appliance park complex, I sure can understand why you like ISL's.  Tons of action!

Mike.

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Posted by CGW121 on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 9:58 AM

A daily newspapersuch as the Chicago Tribune would get ink in a tanker. They get their paper in boxcars.

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Posted by BRAKIE on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 9:53 AM

mbinsewi

That's an interesting video.  I just had to look at the park on Google Earth.  Lot of small facilities with lots of rail cars.  The plastics plant, Central Ink, (which may have changed owners and name) and Royal Sugar, just to name a few.

Mike.

 

Mike,My Slate Creek Rail is based on Progressive Rail and a tad of SMS..These roads was what I was looking for my idea of a switching road that served a industrial park and PRS was in MR as a Railroad you can model and IIRC SMS was in Trains Magazine or maybe Railfan.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 9:25 AM

That's an interesting video.  I just had to look at the park on Google Earth.  Lot of small facilities with lots of rail cars.  The plastics plant, Central Ink, (which may have changed owners and name) and Royal Sugar, just to name a few.

Mike.

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    October 2001
  • From: OH
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Posted by BRAKIE on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 9:22 AM

maxman
one of the MR videos. It is called Taking Care of Business - SMS Rail Lines. About 20 minutes in they show tank cars being switched into a company called Central Ink. Doesn't look like a giant place to me.

Again all things railroad nips me in the caboose. I should know better by now and to add insult to injury that looks to be the size of a Pikestuff warehouse.Bang Head

Also the lading was ink according to the information at the bottom of the screen.

Larry

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Summerset Ry.


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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 9:15 AM

That building looked  it could receive a boxcar  and the building could be a low relief.

 
Mark R.
The chemicals to MAKE printer's ink could very well be shipped by tank cars, but that would be a rather large chemical plant, not an end user printing plant.

 

Actually I think a small facility would work.  Take a look at:

http://mrr.trains.com/sitecore/content/home/articles/2017/04/taking-care-of-business-sms-rail-lines

one of the MR videos.  It is called Taking Care of Business - SMS Rail Lines.  About 20 minutes in they show tank cars being switched into a company called Central Ink.  Doesn't look like a giant place to me.

 

[/quote]

That industry looked like

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by maxman on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 8:00 AM

Mark R.
The chemicals to MAKE printer's ink could very well be shipped by tank cars, but that would be a rather large chemical plant, not an end user printing plant.

Actually I think a small facility would work.  Take a look at:

http://mrr.trains.com/sitecore/content/home/articles/2017/04/taking-care-of-business-sms-rail-lines

one of the MR videos.  It is called Taking Care of Business - SMS Rail Lines.  About 20 minutes in they show tank cars being switched into a company called Central Ink.  Doesn't look like a giant place to me.

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Posted by BRAKIE on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 5:10 AM

Mark R.
It was at least the size of the Walthers building and we got one transport truck per day. Mark.

Mark,Our industries as a rule is to small for rail service and some to small for a 53' trailer and Roberts Printing is no exception..Roberts would need to be at least 2'x3' just to look like it needs rail service.

Several years ago I attended a clinic  on designing a ISL and the clinician suggested placing industries along the backdrop so they can appear to be larger. A example would be to slice Roberts Printing in  two equal parts and placing them along the backdrop and now you have a large industry that gives the illusion it needs rail service.

In reality we should use the larger industry kits like Roberts for rail served industries and leave small industries like the Pikestuff warehouse as nonrail served..

YMMV.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by Mark R. on Monday, April 17, 2017 9:56 PM

Printer's ink if shipped by rail, would no doubt be shipped by boxcar. Most likely by truck. Printer's ink is not a liquid ....

The chemicals to MAKE printer's ink could very well be shipped by tank cars, but that would be a rather large chemical plant, not an end user printing plant. Look at the rail siding of any large (and I mean LARGE) printing plant .... all box cars. I worked in a decent size print shop for 25 years. It was at least the size of the Walthers building and we got one transport truck per day.  

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by dknelson on Monday, April 17, 2017 5:39 PM

My GATX Tank Car Manual (2nd ed.) is dated 1966.  In one section it has a commodity list, gives the ICC section number for regulations, then "classed as" for type of commodity, and then specifications for the tank car.

There are hundreds and hundreds of commodities -- really interesting and a good source of ideas for someone wanting a "different" industry on their layout.

Anyway ... Ink.  The regulation in 1966 was 73.144.  Classed as F.L. meaning Flammable Liquid.   Specifications: 111A100-W-1; 103-W.  

I think of a 103-W as being a more or less plain Jane classic 8000 or 10,000 gallon (and some larger) tank car with full center sill and side running boards.  

111A100-W-1 would suggest the larger 18,000 and 20,000 gallon tank cars with end stub sill but no center sill or side running boards.  Some with multiple compartments.  

What I glean from this is that ink was certainly regarded as a potential tank car load, and the rules and requirements were in place to tell what kind of car it should be shipped in.  Does that mean there was even one such tank car in "ink service?" No, but I think it makes it probable.

Dave Nelson

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Printing ink shipped in tank cars during the 70's and 80's?
Posted by trainmasterg on Monday, April 17, 2017 9:07 AM

Hi Everyone,

One of the industries we have on our club layout is the G. Roberts Printing Inc. building from Walthers.

In the builing description it says "a very large firm might also choose to receive ink in talk cars"

I've been looking all over the web, looking to see who might have shipped ink in tank cars in the 1970s and 1980s.  I can't find anything.

Tangent models makes a tank car that might be the right one, but I'd like to see a prototype photo of such a car, either in a siding, or at the manufacturer.  What companies did this, what cars did they own or lease, and what kind of reporting marks might there have been.  Any ideas?

Are these a possibility: https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/general-american-6000-gal-3-comp-tank-car/

Thanks for any input.

Greg

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