New from North American Railcar!

NARC

They announced these new cars yesterday at the Ottawa Train Expo.

NARC

Nice looking cars

Is there any way to use them individually in local service on small layouts ?....DaveBranum

NARC

Dave:

Why don't you click on the NARC logo on the website, tell them you saw this on MRH forum and ask them the question, they are the best source!

yes

There was a discussion of that very question on the modern freight car forum, I think it was, and the evidence was that these cars did indeed run individually at certain points in time, so the short answer is yes.

I did see one of the red

I did see one of the red potash cars go through Kearny last weekend on a northbound CSX train.  Don't remember what the reporting marks on the car were.

There are a couple of the red Potash cars on a spur ...

There are a couple of the red PotashCorp cars on a spur near the MRH HQ office. So these cars are instantly recognizable!

Why not?

Dear Dave,

Have to admit I haven't researched it, but as long as there are different "grades", "mixes", or "forms" of potash,
then it's logical that an industry would want "X grade, not Y grade" of potash.

Furthur, if you can find an industry that uses "both X and Y grades" of potash, but has to keep them seperate from each other (avoid contamination), then we have an opening for "carspot switching" of otherwise-identical-looking hoppers, on which both "proto-nook" or "mindheim-esque" switching layout designs are based...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Heading South on the BNML

I often see a string of 3 or 4 of these cars in canpotex livery, heading south on the BNML from Winnipeg to the USA via Emerson.

"a string of 3 or 4 of these cars"

The ones here locally are the salmon Potash cars ...

The ones here locally are the salmon Potash cars and they're parked at feed mill spurs. A feed mill mixes feed for farm animals, and such feed often includes minerals along with the organics.

NARCorp Potash cars

      The gray Canpotex Potash hoppers are usually seen in 150+ car trains going from Saskatchewan to the west coast of the US and Canada for trans shipment to Pacific rim countries.  The pink Potash Corp cars usually go in long strings from Saskatchewan south and east to the Midwest US states.  That does not mean that individual cars or small groups of cars can not be seen all over North America,

     Check out the videos and you will even see some pink hoppers moving on CN to Prince Rupert. 

     The likely hood of any of these being used for anything other than potash is very very small - older four bay Canpotex and Saskatchewan hoppers could possibly by used for sand, feed or grain.  These three bay hoppers were designed from the beginning by National Steel Car specifically for potash and are owned by potash companies.  The demand for the moving potash is very high and both companies need to keep them moving constantly to keep up with the demand.

     The three NSC hopper was designed to carry the same weight of potash as the four bay hopper but in 3/4 of the car length, there by allowing longer consists.  Got to same money where ever possible.

NARCorp Potash cars

     The Potash Corp pink hoppers can be spotted in small groups all over the US.  Potash is a fertilizer in high demand and therefore Potash Corp does have fully loaded cars strategically located through out the country for quick delivery.  A feed co-op would be a likely place as farmers need the fertilizer (planting season is here now).

Everyone has seen this announcement, right?

Just making sure this doesn't get lost, just in case readers are interested ...

saw two more last night

ctxmf74

I saw two more last in a cut of boxcars going South on a CSX train.  Both had POTX reporting marks one was the 101? the other was 2665.  I would assume its safe to say these cars are used in local service.

JP

Red potash cars near MRH...

Since the railroad closest to the MRH offices is the one I model, I guess I should look at getting a couple of these.

Feed mill around there means chicken feed. Yep. sign me up for a couple.

" its safe to say these cars are used in local service"

Thanks for the info. I like hoppers and can include a feed dealer or Ag supply out on my unmodeled branchline so I can use a car or two.........DaveBranum