Four New Schemes & 4 Special Run Cars

NSC Potash Service 3 Bay Covered Hoppers

This release includes four new schemes and four special run cars. Presently, there are limited quantities available for reservation. Modelers who have not previously reserved these, or who would like to reserve additional sets should do so now. As with all North American Railcar Corporation products, these are limited runs and these road numbers will never be produced in these schemes again. We will have these test samples on display at the NMRA show this week for modelers to inspect. Please forgive the somewhat less than stellar nature of the images, as we wanted to get them up before packing these to go to the NMRA show this week.

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Introduced in 1999 by National Steel Car, this car is seen in large numbers across Canada and the United States. It was developed specifically to address the need for additional rail transport capacity caused be the growing Potash market.

Previously, the majority of Canadian Potash rail transport was accomplished with the larger Hawker Siddeley 4550 cu ft Cylindrical Hoppers and similar cars from National Steel Car and Marine Industries. Though the car is a newer design, it has less capacity than the Hawker Siddeley style cars. However it makes up for this in a shorter car length of only 47 feet versus the Hawker Siddeley style cars at 59 feet. This allows a train of these cars to carry more Potash then a train of comparable length made up of the Hawker Siddeley style hoppers.

These car operates at a gross rail load of 286,000 pounds, the current maximum limit. However, they are actually designed for a gross rail load of 315,000 pounds. They are currently produced with 100 ton nominal capacity trucks to suit present 286,000 lb. gross rail loading. If the maximum weight limit is increased, these cars can be upgraded with 125 ton trucks allowing for maximum cargo capacity going forward. 

These cars are currently operated in large numbers by both Canpotex and the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, and in smaller numbers by other operators. To date, over 7,000 have been produced in six versions. These cars are seen on a daily basis traveling across the Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, BNSF, CSX, NS and Union Pacific rail networks.

Agrium (NAHX)

6 Panel, Long Sill - 12 Road Numbers In 2 Different 6 Car Sets (A-B)

The first version of this car was developed and built by National Steel Car beginning in 1999. These cars were operated by Canpotex and were originally owned by GE Rail Services and had PTEX reporting marks. Three groups of cars were produced. 

• 600 cars were built between March 1999 and June 1999 with road numbers PTEX 20000 to PTEX 20599 
• 1320 more cars were built between November 1999 and April 2000 and have road numbers PTEX 20600 to PTEX 21919 
• 95 additional cars were subsequently produced and have road numbers PTEX 21920 to PTEX 22015 

These were distinctive with their alternating white and red reflective tape along the entire length of the cars sill. This paint scheme of the car was seen from 1999 to 2004 when the last of these cars were updated with yellow visibility marks instead of the red and white reflective tape.

Since that time, some of these cars have been sold to Agrium. These cars have been repainted in the current Agrium scheme and have NAHX reporting marks.

Agrium was formed to facilitate the reorganization of the fertilizer division of Cominco Ltd (Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company) and the acquisition of the fertilizer assets of Alberta Energy Company in 1993.

Agrium is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta Canada and operates worldwide with a value of over $14 Billion. Agrium is a partner in "Canpotex".

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Potash Corp (POTX)

9 Panel, Long Sill, 3000 Series - 12 Road Numbers In 2 Different 6 Car Sets (A-B)

The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, also referred to as PotashCorp was formed by the Government of Saskatchewan in the 1970's to effectively mine Potash and benefit the province as a whole. It has since become a publicly traded company. It is the largest  potash producer in the world. PotashCorp has expanded beyond both Saskatchewan and Potash and is now the third largest producer of nitrogen and phosphate. Currently, PotashCorp produces approximately 20% of the world supply of Potash with smaller amounts of other minerals and elements. 

It is by far the world's largest producer of potash, producing 20% of the world's supply. It is also the world's largest fertilizer producer, the third largest phosphate producer and the third largest nitrogen producer. PotashCorp is also the largest supplier and owner of Canpotex.

While much of the Potash that PotashCorp produces and sells is carried by Canpotex for export from their west coast ports, PotashCorp has their own rail operations as well. The primary port PotashCorp uses is Saint John, New Brunswick in Canada. PotashCorp also has shipping operations in the Great Lakes region and some Potash is delivered by barge on the Mississippi River. Additional Potash exports are made from ports down the Atlantic coast as far as Tampa Bay, Florida in the United States.

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Canpotex (CNPX)

9 Panel, Long Sill, 150000 Series  White Fleet Cars

12 Road Numbers In 2 Different 6 Car Sets (A-B)

Canpotex (CNPX)

9 Panel, Short Sill, 1000 Series  White Fleet Cars

12 Road Numbers In 2 Different 6 Car Sets (A-B)

Canpotex was was formed in the early 1970's to market and export the vast amounts of Potash mined in Saskatchewan. Canpotex, which is short for Canadian Potash Exporters, oversees the entire Saskatchewan potash exporting industry with the exception of the United States and Canadian markets. Currently, Canpotex is responsible for approximately one third of the world's supply of Potash.

Canpotex does not directly mine the Potash it transports, but instead works with producers in Saskatchewan including the Mosaic Company and the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan. It operates a fleet with thousands of railcars in North America. These cars operate in large unit trains from Saskatchewan to the two main Canpotex export facilities in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada and Portland, Oregon in the United States.

So the second question you may have, “What is the White Fleet?”

Well you may or may not be aware of it, but there two different types of Potash sold by Canpotex, white and the more common red (pink).

And they cannot cross mix the two types of potash in the railcars. So many of the new CNPX 1000 and 150000 series Canpotex cars are dedicated to the “WHITE FLEET” used exclusively to move White Potash.

If you want like to learn more about the differences between White and Red Potash Click Here.

 Limited Quantities Available For Reservation

Expected Release: Late 2018