David, I supplied IM with a lot of the information on these cars, and as far as I can tell they followed the prototype photos quite closely. I don't have all the flat cars, but the ones I've seen

Just for clarification. They put the dry mix (batch) in the truck first, then add the water ! Clark Propst

That is usually called a concrete batch plant.  Where they mix the cement and fly ash with sand and gravel, sometimes other things and water to make concrete which is then sent to the construction

Jim Murrie1 wrote: This rule of thumb only works, of course, if there is a big difference in the two values. For cement, and for other building materials like brick and block, the difference

Jeff; Many moons ago when I was getting my MBA degree the rule of thumb was that you wanted to "long haul" the raw materials (low value goods) and "short haul" the finished product (i.e. high value

Rick asked. "Did you think I made that up?" No, but you had to have heard it somewhere. I model Mason City and know someone modeling the CGW in SE MN. If there's any documentation of loads into the

More like 2 or 3 months ago. And as I'm trying to buy stuff he is already very badly missed. He ran one of the best mail order businesses I've ever done business with. -- Jon Miller For me

Not in hand, but if I recall I read it in a CGW forum, posted by somebody with paper documentation. I can probably dig it up if you really need to see it. Did you think I made that up? Regarding my

I've been greatly enjoying this discussion on bulk materials and their shipment by rail in the purview of the STMFC list. Gravel, sand, and crushed rock was used in great quantitites in the Toronto,

Nate, "Cement Plants" make cement. "Readi-Mix" (however you choose to spell it) or so called "Batch plants" mix, sell concrete. One's a big place with big machinery and the other isn't : ) Around

Mike, Should a factory be located near the raw materials, near the customers, or near a source of transportation? In the case of cement, the plant tended to be near

You have proof of this? Clark Propst

Can someone please forward me Art Tharp's website information. Please send to carrera356@... Thank you, Bill Chattaway

I've really enjoyed the discussion on the cement plants. I just want to confirm that the cement plants being discussed are the ones that produce the actual cement raw material that is then later

I think you'd have to consider also that out west a "PRR average" trip of 300 miles (or whatever) would often put the train in the middle of nowhere. Because everything is so spread out transit

Yes, that was the primary destination, but carloads also went to Mason City for use in the cement plants. It was the nearest source for a necessary ingredient. Cheers, Rick

Notice I changed the subject line, even though the list owner changed the subject : ) The CGW hauled iron ore out of SE MN for delivery to Granite City IL, Upper Midwestern fertilizer plants

Good point Tony--the cement plants aren't next to the iron mines. The following data is from the 1949 Minerals Yearbook published by the Bureau of Mines. This is a list of all materials used in

Hi Mike, I can't speak directly to the soda ash question, but some commodities have no substitute. If, say, certain ore deposits exist at only one place, the commodity will be shipped anywhere on the

Mike, In Texas we burn a lot of Powder River Basin coal to generate power.  It is my understanding that the largest part of the cost is transportation, but I do not have any hard figures at hand.