Eastern Railroad Discussion > Zinc Customers in the Carolinas

What companies in the Carolinas use zinc? I saw zinc loads on NS 194 at Pomona. These likely originated in Strawberry Plains, TN. If they were going elsewhere, they probably wouldn’t have come to Greensboro.

Thanks,

Neil

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/20 13:26 by SOUCF25.

SOUCF25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What companies in the Carolinas use zinc? I saw
> zinc loads on NS 194 at Pomona. These likely
> originated in Strawberry Plains, TN. If they were
> going elsewhere, they probably wouldn’t have
> come to Greensboro.

American Zinc Products, Mooresboro, NC.  Formerly Horseheads Corp. and St. Joe's Lead Corp. of Monaca, PA.

https://americanzincproducts.com/

https://www.google.com/maps/place/American+Zinc+Products/@35.193224,-81.8474255,1443a,35y,334.61h/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x885713434158314b:0x1545af1cdeadbff4!8m2!3d35.1907639!4d-81.8489854

They also have a recycling plant in Rockwood, TN.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/American+Zinc+Recycling/@35.8723213,-84.6960504,1376a,35y,301.64h/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x7d01ae8dca74fece!8m2!3d35.8707578!4d-84.6923295

Fun fact, the plant at Monaca was the site of filming some scenes in the movie "Unstoppable".  It has since been demolished and is now where Shell Chemicals is building the ethylene cracker and polyethylene extruder plants.

SOUCF25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What companies in the Carolinas use zinc? I saw
> zinc loads on NS 194 at Pomona. These likely
> originated in Strawberry Plains, TN. If they were
> going elsewhere, they probably wouldn’t have
> come to Greensboro.

If you're referring to the white /gray stuff heaped up in the 2 bay NS & SOU open top hoppers you saw on the head-end 194 on Saturday 6/27... ...that's (agricultural) lime.
Hodges TN to Greenville, NC (CLNA) Transload.

Most of it also goes to PCS at Lee Creek, NC on NS. It's pretty common for 194 /350 to move lime in those cars from TN toward Lee Creek, almost daily.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/20 23:34 by nsrlink.

nsrlink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SOUCF25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What companies in the Carolinas use zinc? I saw
> > zinc loads on NS 194 at Pomona. These likely
> > originated in Strawberry Plains, TN. If they
> were
> > going elsewhere, they probably wouldn’t have
> > come to Greensboro.
>
> If you're referring to the white /gray stuff
> heaped up in the 2 bay NS & SOU open top hoppers
> you saw on the head-end 194 on Saturday 6/27...
> ...that's (agricultural) lime.
> Hodges TN to Greenville, NC (CLNA) Transload.
>
> Most of it also goes to PCS at Lee Creek, NC on
> NS. It's pretty common for 194 /350 to move lime
> in those cars from TN toward Lee Creek, almost
> daily.

Is there nothing PCS doesn't make? On CSX we handle phosphates and all manner of things for them....

Thanks! I forgot lime was a byproduct of the zinc purification process there. The scary thing is that I visited that operation in '92. My 62 year old mind isn't what it was. I was interested in their heavy media separator. The main thing I recall is that magnetite was used in the separator. As soon as we got to the plant office, we were warned to not wear a mechanical watch anywhere near the process. I left mine in the office, and it survived. IIRC, Southern had a fleet of open hoppers dedicated to that service. The Southern paint has survived.
>
> If you're referring to the white /gray stuff
> heaped up in the 2 bay NS & SOU open top hoppers
> you saw on the head-end 194 on Saturday 6/27...
> ...that's (agricultural) lime.
> Hodges TN to Greenville, NC (CLNA) Transload.
>
> Most of it also goes to PCS at Lee Creek, NC on
> NS. It's pretty common for 194 /350 to move lime
> in those cars from TN toward Lee Creek, almost
> daily.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/20 06:21 by SOUCF25.

Lee Creek uses the calcium oxide (lime) in a post-process to make MCP, monocalcium phosphate. It's a fertilizer and has other uses. Ironically one of the waste products at Lee Creek (and in Florida, too) is phosphogypsum, which has a lot of calcium. But the PG is contaminated with a lot of stuff, including naturally occurring radioactive substances. So even though the PG has calcium, the plant brings in lime to produce MCP.