NSC Canpotex Hoppers

[armchairmodeller]

In my view, the lengthy Canpotex hopper trains from Saskatchewan to Vancouver and return are almost as iconic of the Canadian railway scene as the much modelled grain car trains. Nor are they confined to "the Great White North" as the trains pass through some American states on the way to port facilities.

Yet no-one seems to model the currrent style of Canpotex hopper as built by National Steel Car. Three bays but a somewhat shorter wheel base than, say, Trinity or ACF 3 bay hoppers.

To create a Canpotex train, one has to resort to cylindrical hopper with round hatches, which seem to have been sold off by Canpotex over the last few years in favour of the more modern slab sided type covered hopper as standard. This creates an anachronism as it means that the "older" cylindricals don't belong behind the more modern traction units. The cylindricals having been scrapped or sold on before some of the more powerful units used to haul the current Canpotex trains were introduced (Am I right in this?).

Given that the Canpotex trains are of 130-170 NSC hoppers per train I find it astonishing that no one builds them in model form

The cylindrical hoppers (Intermountain, built or kit) or NARCorp/PWRS built up) have Canpotex branding and Bachmann produce Potash Corp and Potacan but again tubes.

A kit bash from another model is beyond my capabilities even if I had a suitable model to start with.

Can any members suggest why manufacturers do not seem to want to touch this modern iconic hopper?

[acsoosub]

Well, these cars are operated in large numbers, but really only by Canpotex and PotashCorp. That helps them not really get noticed by American manufacturers. I occasionally see the PotashCorp cars, but I've never seen one of the Canpotex cars in Ontario except when brand new from NSC, heading out west. I think the Canpotex cars pretty much only run in the unit trains.

Also should point out that these are not "slab-side" hoppers. The centre-flow type cars have curved sides similar to cylindrical cars (some sites actually refer to all centre-flow hoppers as cylindricals, although I wouldn't consider these true cylindrical cars). "Slab-side" hoppers were these old 1950s-built hoppers with heavy plate sides:
canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cp380291&o=cprail

[acsoosub]

The PotashCorp cars are also only 2 years old. The earliest Canpotex variants were built 1998-1999 with PTEX reporting marks. Other batches have been built periodically throughout the 2000s, and Canpotex now operates cars in CEFX, CGLX, CITX and PTEX reporting marks.

[armchairmodeller]

acsoosub:-

Thanks for your thoughts and observations. Indeed the vehicles are constructed at the NSC works in Ontario and therefore are probably only seen in the eastern provinces during delivery runs, as you say, to the west. As the block trains normal route is from Sask. to B.C and return they probably are somewhat geographically limited. As far as I am aware they run on both CN and CP networks and, according to some web posts I have seen, do stray to some of the North West US states

You are also correct in saying that the vehicles normally run as "block" trains (is this UK terminology?) or unit trains. However on the "there is a prototype for everything" principle have a look at a short contribution I placed on Youtube, of a mixed freight passing Revelstoke BC with just short of a dozen Canpotex vehicles in the mix. What they were doing there is anyones guess.

The varied reporting marks tend to indicate the large number of vehicle leasing companies that supply vehicles to the Canpotex company, although he vehicles all seem to be of the standard NSC design. The NSC website has a "blue print" of the vehicle, capacity and dimensions.

My use of the term slab sided is born quite simply of ignorance on my behalf, lacking the correct vocabulary to describe a covered hopper that is neither cylindrical, almost tubular, nor rib sided.

In conclusion then, based upon your observations, the vehicles are unlikely to be produced for the model market because......

1 They are too specialized to one product.
2 They are too specialized to one (though huge) geographical area.

Owing to the forgoing it is not possible for a model manufacturer to produce this hopper car and paint it in 40 different liveries for the carriage of an infinite variety of bulk loads. In short this vehicle is too specialized and not flexible enough for a manufacturer to produce a generic vehicle with multiple applications.

I suppose the only way that this is ever going to get produced is by a special commission, on behalf of a consortium or group, prepared to jointly place an order, in sufficient numbers that would make a manufacturer consider a production run, which is then sub divided/distributed among the members.

I would be in the market for 10 pieces if they could be done for about $25-30 a piece.
Any offers?

All further contributions or thoughts appreciated

Armchair Modeller
Liverpool UK

[acsoosub]

Well, here we go, someone is making this car:

www.pwrs.ca/announcements/view.php?ID=7547