Must be old coal cars? Hmmm. I had never seen the BGSX mark. Had to look it up Bradshaw Gravel Supply (Strata Corporation.) The web site says they are a North Dakota aggregate, concrete, etc, supplier. Is BNSF doing some construction around your area?
The large gravel pit here has a rail facility and has been using these cars for years. There has been a constant string of cars in and out of there for the last ten years, but I have neber asked who or where is buying it up. It is busy enough that the RR has built the sub roadbed for a new siding on the Circle branch that serves it so they can better serve the pit. Will try to find my pic of the gravel pit loco, and old GP-9.
Neat that these cars survive! To add to the collection, here's a Clinchfield boxcar I shot in 1989 when sightings were a bit more common:
Maryland Midland has quite a few ex-Clinchfield 4-bay hopper cars. Some are still in very good condition, paint scheme wise. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2922086
That's neat to know. I got to spend some time there back in 92-94 while rewiring all 3 of their GP-9's. I worked for LRC and got shipped out there for all three final setups on those units. It was a rush! We took the first one out on a test run pulling 5000 tons of coal around the ascending horseshoe curve. Thanks for the pics!
They are used in stone/gravel service. The siding where that photo is taken has a stone unloading station/conveyor. Signs in the area have QPR on them, for the asphalt patch you can buy in bags at Lowes/Home Depot etc. Here is image from streetview of siding from roadway
Ah. OK. I was wondering as the weathering I saw in the picture looked a lot lighter than coal. I knew they worked with cement products, so.....
