Industry Question

[XG01X]

Does anyone know of a place on the web where I could find pictures of a Salt Distribution center? It recieves Salt from the mines and is typical in a Urban enviroment. Any knowledge of the industry would help.
Thanks
Travis

[Anonymous]

I think you can look for Azio salt near Seneca Falls New York. I used to haul salt out of there.

The mine was directly below us and the lake and was quite big. The salt would be brought up and bagged. The bags stacked in pallets, wrapped and forklifted into your trailer.

Another way to haul salt was with dump trailers. These went to states that needed to stock pile salt for the winter plowing and salting.

A third way was to create a liquid saline and tank it to who ever wanted it.

In railroading you can use Boxcars, Covered Hoppers and Tank to haul the salt. Very little was brought in except machines and supplies occasionally. I believe they have been mining salt at the location I described for quite some time. When the machines wore out they would just abandon it rather than haul it out of the mine.

I dont know about "Salt Distribution Center" the stuff is usually on pallets in bags and got sent to various places along with the other general freight. Warehouses and places that handles freight probably had this stuff on hand going to the final customer.

[ericsp]

While not a distribution center, you may find this interesting.
http://www.cargillsalt.com/sfbay/T_main.html

[howmus]

The Seneca Lake area is a major salt mining area (put your home well a little deep and you may have sea water to drink). I live 15 miles from Seneca Falls but I have never heard of Azio salt. There is an Akzo Salt company in the area but I am not familiar with any of their operations. The Finger Lakes Railroad moves salt out of Watkins Glen, NY in covered hoppers. Both US Salt, and Cargill use them to move their salt to markets. I could not find a good picture of the Watkins Glen facilities but below is a link to the Finger Lakes Railroad "unofficial" site that provides a link to Cargill. Below that is a link to US Salt and a small picture of there Watkins Glen facility.

http://fglk.railfan.net/customers.html

http://www.ussaltllc.com/#US%20Salt,%20LLC

[FRITSCHSR]

The facility here in Pittsburgh, Pa. where I buy salt to resell at my two feed
stores is just a large warehouse where salt is barged in and unloaded via a
crane, put on a conveyor to the holding bins prior to bagging or bulk loadout.
as far as I know they donot ship any by rail, just trucks.

[Anonymous]

Also can't help with any distribution plant idea but I've been gathering info on mining salt here in New York.

Azko (I think HighIron just had a typo there,) operated a few mines in NY I think, including the Restof mine south of Rochester, NY. When it collapsed in the 1990s it was the largest salt mine in North America & the second largest in the world. Here's an underground salt train photo: http://www.people.virginia.edu/~sls8y/stereo/mining.html

The Cargill mine in Lansing NY is very active & is something I would be interested in incorporating in my layout someday, stretching the boundaries of the Adirondacks somewhat to include it. I'm going to have to take a trip out there I guess to look for info on operation & rail traffic in its early days (Early 1900s.)

Here's some contemporary photos of Cargills Lansing mine:
http://www.stargazettenews.com/PhotoGalleries/SaltMine/index.htm

Wayne

[Anonymous]

Be sure to put a lot of rust streaks on your hoppers, salt is extremely corrosive.

[XG01X]

Thanks alot guys, someone actually pointed me to a picture of my prototype salt plant.
Morton Salt in Chicago http://www.chicagoswitching.com/chicagoswitching/v3/articles/article.asp?menu=0&locationid=8&locationname=River+West&articleid=71
Theres also pictures of AKZO somewhere on there.
Now for last and final question what would a Dog food plant recieve by rail? Soy Meal, is that right?
Thanks again
Travis

[Anonymous]

Akzo is a correct name for that mine. I recall my very first time into the place they yelled at me to turn "hard" towards teh docks or I would go into the lake proper. Sorry about that there typo.

Thinking back there was a small diner about 5 miles down the road going towards Horseheads on the left that had the best roast beef made.

[howmus]

[#offtopic] HighIron2003ar, Were you going south on Rt. 414 from Seneca Falls, 96 from Waterloo, or 14 from Geneva? Just curious to see if I know the diner.....

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by KenLarsen

Be sure to put a lot of rust streaks on your hoppers, salt is extremely corrosive.

Unless it is an aluminum hopper.

[CBQ_Guy]

So what type of industries would use the salt solution carried in tank cars?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy

So what type of industries would use the salt solution carried in tank cars?

Perhaps an ocean filling plant?[:p]

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JPM335

QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy

So what type of industries would use the salt solution carried in tank cars?

Perhaps an ocean filling plant?[:p]

Ha!

Or an ocean emptying operation. . . .Tank Train!

[Anonymous]

Now for last and final question what would a Dog food plant recieve by rail? Soy Meal, is that right?
Thanks again
Travis

Travis,

The dog food plant at Jefferson, Wisconsin receives (or used to receive) fish entrails from California in tank cars.

John Timm

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the off-topic, I recall that Rte 14 ran between the mine at Watkins Glen and Montour Falls NY. I believe it was on the left heading south.

I dont know anything about the Saline to be honest, I thought it may be good for something such as a medical Saline Solution industry. Perhaps it is the salt content of my lunch that messed me up =)

[nslakediv]

we use salt solution in Ohio on roads(brine) before it snows. keeps roads clear.

[FRITSCHSR]

Dog feed plants would take in soybean meal, corn, meat scraps & veg oils.
I know this because my trucks haul out of two of these facilitys twice a week.