Pfizer Hoppers
- MQT1223
- O Scale Railfanner
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Pfizer Hoppers
I noticed the other day when chasing the Pfizer Coal train through Kzoo what appears to be a couple of older 50 ton hoppers at the end of the former GR&I within the Pfizer plant. They have definitely been there a while and had older Pfizer logos on them. Did Pfizer use to have a fleet of these or were these something they bought for personal use that now sit and rot at the end of the property? Also looks like some older tank cars are there as well unless those have moved.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
- AARR
- Incognito and Irrelevant
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- Location: Washington, MI
Re: Pfizer Hoppers
Pfizer would receive their coal, empty it and pile it in the back of the plant. They would reload the coal into their own Pfizer coal cars and have their own switcher move the cars to the dump pit. This is still the practice AFAIK.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
- MQT1223
- O Scale Railfanner
- Posts: 4179
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:46 pm
- Location: Grandville, Michigan
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Re: Pfizer Hoppers
Hmm, wish there was a way to see this. However the cars in question are shoved at the end of the line and don't appear to have moved in a very long time, unless now they don't do this. Wish there was a way to confirm.AARR wrote:Pfizer would receive their coal, empty it and pile it in the back of the plant. They would reload the coal into their own Pfizer coal cars and have their own switcher move the cars to the dump pit. This is still the practice AFAIK.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
- AARR
- Incognito and Irrelevant
- Posts: 39021
- Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
- Location: Washington, MI
Re: Pfizer Hoppers
Pfizer was averaging 700-800 carloads a year of coal
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
- Standard Railfan
- Railroadfan...fan
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- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:25 pm
- Location: Marquette, MI
Re: Pfizer Hoppers
I checked Google Earth and the are four hoppers sitting at the end of the line near Centre Avenue in every image since 2015. I can see a hopper car spotted just outside the Pfizer power plant in multiple images. My guess is the four cars you saw are "spares".MQT1223 wrote:I noticed the other day when chasing the Pfizer Coal train through Kzoo what appears to be a couple of older 50 ton hoppers at the end of the former GR&I within the Pfizer plant. They have definitely been there a while and had older Pfizer logos on them. Did Pfizer use to have a fleet of these or were these something they bought for personal use that now sit and rot at the end of the property? Also looks like some older tank cars are there as well unless those have moved.
- Proto48Patrick
- Railroadfan...fan
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- Location: Kalamazoo
Re: Pfizer Hoppers
19 years ago,when I worked there as a contractor, they had 4 privately owned 70T hoppers. I worked in Blg 41 for almost 7 years and I saw them mostly use CR/NS 3 and 4 bay 100T hoppers. They did unload and reload coal into their own hoppers but I never saw them actually placed in or near the Powerhouse.
Patrick Welch