Tom,
I don't believe the concept of unit grain trains existed until the 1980s. Until the western coal trains started operating around 1978 the only unit trains we had were the IMC potash trains and the ore trains on the C&I.
I have several internal reports from 1964 onward with the telling comment"that grain has left the railroad". The studies were aimed at combining or eliminating agents positions from low volume stations. What grain that was shipping by the late 60s into the 70s were generated primarily at Chana and to much lesser degrees at Steward,Hinckley and Big Rock. 40 ft boxcars were the primary car supplied. Though Chana would use anything the RR supplied,including open top hoppers.
At least locally 4,000 cu ft and larger CHs were handled on the C&I delivering fertz. And potash.
Leo Phillipp
Now for a covered hopper question:
I also have not seen many photos of the larger grain covered hoppers on the C&I in the late 1960's. The few CB&Q wheel reports I have do show quite a number of HC-1's carrying clay, LO-7's (3200 cu ft ACF) carrying clay and animal meal, and one empty LO-8 (4600 cf ACF 3-bay - one of the 10 with pneumatic instead of gravity outlets). There are no P-S 4000 cu ft (LO-4) or 4740 cu ft (LO-10) covered hoppers listed either. But none of the wheel reports show grain movements.
Did covered hopper grain trains operate on the C&I in the late 1960's or was most of the grain on the line moved by boxcar?
Anyone know of any pictures of covered hopp
er unit grain trains on the C&I?
<
br>
Tom Mack
Cincinnati, OH