Twenty-one bright green Saskatchewan hopper cars hit the rails April 5, the first of about 100 that will be refurbished this year.
Along with the new paint, the cars feature decals of a prairie lily and yellow stripes to represent wheat and canola. Along the length of each car runs the word Saskatchewan!
“You will never see me apologize for marketing this province,” said highways and transportation minister Eldon Lautermilch for what he called rolling billboards.
Many who attended the unveiling of the new look noted the cars are Saskatchewan Roughriders football green.
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Lautermilch said repainting was recommended after a 2004 inspection of the Saskatchewan Grain Car Corp.’s fleet. The consulting firm AllTranstek recommended the cars be painted within the next five years due to corrosion.
The province bought 1,000 cars for $55 million in 1981 after farmers lost sales in the 1970s because there wasn’t enough car capacity. About 950 remain in service and were upgraded at facilities in Ogema, Sask., and Rocanville, Sask., the past two years.
Lautermilch said the cars have a 50 year lifespan and halfway through is the optimal time to repaint.
GE Railcar Repair Service Co. of Regina won the paint tender. Arco Graphics Inc. of Saskatoon got the contract for the decals.
The project cost is $1 million.
Lautermilch said farmers save $4.50 per tonne when grain is shipped to port in Saskatchewan cars. They have saved about $55 million since the cars were bought, he added.
The government will invest more in its fleet in future. It intends to repaint another 100 cars next year. As well, it will have to install automatic slack adjusters on the braking systems by 2014 as mandated by the Association of American Railroads.
