Vermiculite is a clay that has several commercial uses, among them insulation and as a soil conditioner for plants. When I first started visiting the Piedmont Sub on my own in the 1990's I noticed this loader and the fact that there always seemed to be several CSX covered hoppers spotted at it. Once, I parked near the Louisa station to eat my lunch and got to film a CSX crew switching here. I still don’t know how long the loader has been here or who owns it, but it sure seems to be a busy place.

This is an overall view of the facility. The mainline is in the foreground. The station is just out of sight in the background. (2004 photo)

	The vermiculite is obviously trucked in from elsewhere. I don’t know the source or who owns the facility. The front end loader then loads it into the hopper. (2004 photo)
	This somewhat Rube Goldberg arrangement lifts the vermiculite so that it can be loaded into covered hoppers. (2004 photos)

	C&O Sidetrack Records indicate that this siding once served a Texaco facility. The remains of that facility can be seen in these photos. (2004 photos)

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