That car is loaded with volcanic scoria, commonly known as Lava rock. The newer covered hoppers (usually white or blue) contain the perlite. Common mistake since they are all loaded nearby. SLRG still switches these customers at least weekly, much less frequently than old times
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Nice shot and excellent notes. I was wondering about the short nose.
Thanks for posting.
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I think those F40's that were converted for freight use were cool looking. I hope some are still in use and not in danger of being scrapped. It's a total bummer that Iowa Pacific and the SLRG have fallen on such hard times.
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Thank you for the clarification on the car load, David, and also for the album add.
Carl, thank you for your kind remarks. I am glad you enjoyed my photo and story.
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Thanks for sharing!
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Scott, the Iowa Northern (IANR) has four of the F40M-2s. I can't say if all four are in service, but I do see shots of them in active freight service periodically. The IANR paint scheme is virtually the same as the CDAC, so most of the units (I believe 3 of 4) retained their CDAC scheme and were patched with IANR lettering. The only other one I can think of that is running is on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway out of Cumberland, MD, but there may well be others I am forgetting. I appreciate your interest in my photos!
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