# Identify this car and it's use



## I Am Fasha (Apr 2, 2013)

Hi. Can anyone tell me what the real name of this type of car and what the use of it's load would be? It's load looked to be some type of gravel or stone.


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

Similar ones to that (2 bay, not 3 bay) run locally to me. its called the "soda train". Carries some sort of white stone. 

I'll give it a google, and get you more info.


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawler_Central_railway_station



> It is used daily by a Penrice Soda Products train carrying limestone from their quarry at Penrice (near Angaston) to their soda ash factory at Osborne.



EDIT:
More relevent to that line
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penrice_Stone_Train


and this pic
http://www.johnnyspages.com/classic...part-2/trains_15_wayne_osborne_13-07-2009.jpg

and heres the source page for that image. many pics for you other blokes
http://www.johnnyspages.com/classic...present_day_pics_files/just_trains_part-2.htm


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## I Am Fasha (Apr 2, 2013)

Interesting. So what does a soda manufacture use limestone for?


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

Its not soda soda, like a soft drink (we don't even call it soda ). 

The soda ash link in wikipedia, hints at it most likely being to make water softener. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_carbonate



> Sodium carbonate is domestically well known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the ashes of many plants. It is synthetically produced in large quantities from salt (sodium chloride) and limestone by a method known as the Solvay process.


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## I Am Fasha (Apr 2, 2013)

Ah. Okay. That is inetetesting. I talked to someone the other day. He said here in the US Coal Fired Power Plants mix limestone with the coal to help clean the ash out of the furnaces and chimneys. I can't find a solid source on the web for that.


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

I'm pretty sure it is one of these,
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-7078
I have several of them on my layout.

They use them allot down here hauling stone from quarrys in unit trains.


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## I Am Fasha (Apr 2, 2013)

David I believe you are correct! Now if I can find out where it departed from and destination, plus load, I'll be good.


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

Davidfd85 said:


> I'm pretty sure it is one of these,
> http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-7078
> I have several of them on my layout.
> 
> They use them allot down here hauling stone from quarrys in unit trains.


The design concept is a little similar, but they're not remotely the same car.

Basically all we have here is a slightly different design for an open hopper. Nothing too special. Just looks a little different. The compact design is designed to handle heavier commodities like stone. Coal is quite light, and more volume can be handled before it maxes out the ~100 ton weight limit, so larger hoppers are used for coal.


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## wentzeljr (Jul 12, 2013)

The Soda Ash It isn't used for the ash, but as a method of 'scrubbing' the sulfur out of the stack gas stream. (reduces sulfur (acid rain) of the power plant).


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

"Soda ash" isn't ash - it gets that name because in previous centuries it used to be produced by leaching it out of certain plant ashes.

Today it is produced in large quantities by mining and processing certain mineral deposits.

Similarly, potash is a potassium-based salt (actually refers to several similar potassium compounds) that gets it's name literally from "pot ash", but today raw potash is mined underground in huge quantities, especially in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, which produces almost a third of the entire world's supply of potash, and in some places in the American mid-west.


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## I Am Fasha (Apr 2, 2013)

Ah good info all! Thanks for the info!


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