(11/21/2008)

Canadian National brings Miner onboard for performance lift.

Geneva, IL — Miner Enterprises, Inc. has been selected by Canadian National Railway Co. to provide Miner Ore Car Mechanisms for 232 new ore cars built by National Steel Car and upgrade the draft gears on 500 existing ore cars. Miner's customized pneumatic longitudinal door mechanism and Miner TP-17 draft gears were specified for the new cars. The new air-powered Miner Ore Car Mechanisms will automate and enhance the car's unloading capability. The draft gears on the 500 existing cars were also upgraded to new TP-17 gears.

"Canadian National chose Miner for the upgrade because they wanted to maintain reliability while enhancing the performance of their fleet," said Ric Biehl, Miner's Vice President of Sales. "This ore car mechanism design has been providing reliable service in North America for many years."

The air-powered door mechanism specified delivers a maximum opening along with a smooth-chute design for clog-free discharging. The mechanism has been proven to be very low maintenance for unloading iron ore and similarly coarse load commodities.

The draft gear specified was Miner’s TP-17 model, featuring the company's TecsPak® elastomer shock-absorption technology, along with two new performance upgrades: The housing is now made of cast iron for increased durability, and a threaded retaining rod within the shock absorption system has been replaced with a free-floating bolt for improved functionality, easier servicing and prolonged life.