Western Railroad Discussion > What train with all woodchip hoppers?

A northbound BNSF train of all covered woodchip hoppers went north out of Trinidad, CO in the morning of July 7, and my question is, what does this train haul? From the tarp blown off the top of one, it looked white and was not woodchips. Could it be cottonseed? But whatever it was, it required two DPU's on the rear also. Does anybody know where it was going? Photo 1 - Curving through Ludlow, CO north of Trinidad. Photo 2 - North of Aguilar at Milepost 182. Photo 3 - Departing Walsenburg, CO. Seems like a good use for all those woodchip cars in storage whatever is in them! === === = === JLH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/18 10:39 by highgreengraphics.

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Cottonseed, the former intermodal yard at Calwa (Fresno, CA) was converted to a cottonseed transload facility. I dont know the specifics of the operation but it's been discussed on TO in the past and I believe this train either terminates at Calwa or makes a set out and continues on to another location.

Cotton seed. These unit trains load in Texas. Cotton seed used for cattle feed. Must be headed to the Pacific Northwest farmers.

gmojim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/18 11:37 by gmojim.

Do those cars carry the original reporting marks (BN, GN, NP, etc.), and car-numbers, from the predecessor roads .... or are any or all of them branded with BNSF lettering and new numbers?

Some yes. There are quite a few of those older green cars with MWCX marks. In the photo, you can see new reddish-brown cars--those also have MWCX marks.

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From memory, I believe mixed, some original, some new lease reporting marks, some patched BNSF, it was a hodgepodge. === === = === JLH

An empty one of those trains went east in Washington state yesterday on the BNSF.

I like Pic 2!!

I had an all woodchip hopper train roll thru Ritzville, WA EB yesterday. Probably about 60 to 80 cars.

Larry

This must have been the one that arrived at Central Washington Corn Processors in Richland (RIL) WA last weekend.
I heard about it traveling across MT and arriving in Pasco and noted the large pile of cottonseed at their facility yesterday.

highgreengraphics Wrote:
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> From memory, I believe mixed, some original, some
> new lease reporting marks, some patched BNSF, it
> was a hodgepodge. === === = === JLH

i caught one of these trains on video out here on the seligman sub.  it was posted here on t.o.'s if you want to see it......
66

I forgot to add - In photo 2, the original roadbed can be seen through the trees above the radiator fans on the lead unit, there was a line relocation here. === === = === JLH

I saw one out at Dagget heading east, One car with MWCW reporting marks was an old NP chip hopper. You can almost make out the Northern Pacific through all the rust.

CS

Those are actually gondolas.

Yeah, you are right, flat bottoms, straight ends but on the railroad, workers call them "woodchip hoppers". I wonder if the end unloading door is a requirement with this service? I did not check to see if every car has an end door, but I'll bet it is an unloading requirement or they'd be using old aluminum coal hoppers (or gondolas). === === = === JLH