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Offline Danlake  
#1 Posted : 15 May 2014 18:21:52(UTC)
Danlake

New Zealand   
Joined: 03/08/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,571
Interesting news item about the outdated US rail tank car carrying harzardous material, from MSNBC. Also been discussed in various articles of Trains.

http://www.msnbc.com/rac...-car-hazard-256253507770

Apparently they have started building new types but cannot build them fast enough for the expanding transportation of crude oil.

Personally I would be a bit worried if such trains where rolling through my town...

Brgds - Lasse


Digital 11m2 layout / C (M&K) tracks / Era IV / CS3 60226 / Train Controller Gold 9 with 4D sound. Mainly Danish and German Locomotives.
Offline kbvrod  
#2 Posted : 15 May 2014 19:56:56(UTC)
kbvrod

United States   
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,597
Location: Beverly, MA
RollEyes
Offline witzlerh  
#3 Posted : 15 May 2014 23:24:36(UTC)
witzlerh

Canada   
Joined: 25/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 417
Location: Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Note that they were only recently outdated. News loves to hype things up.
Yes there is a need for better tank cars and yes they are building them as fast as possible.

However one thing I am still waiting to hear about is the improper classification. Crude oil does not readily explode.

Something is making this crude oil more flamable than expected.

After these 2-3 major events, pipelines are now the safest way to move oil. Before it was tank cars....
Harald
CS2 DB & Canadian Era 3-6
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by witzlerh
Offline biedmatt  
#4 Posted : 16 May 2014 01:31:23(UTC)
biedmatt

United States   
Joined: 09/04/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,343
Location: Southwest Ohio
Funny, the railroads are responsible for the oil pipeline system. At first Vanderbilt and the other eastern railroads fought to get Rockefeller's business of shipping his drums full of lamp oil from Ohio to the east. Then they decided he was getting too rich and powerful and decided to squeeze him by raising their rates. This, they thought, would keep him in his place. So he built an oil pipeline to the east. He made so much money, that comparatively, the railroad barons were paupers and he managed to cut them out of the freight end of the oil business too. Rockefeller outmaneuvered the huberous bastards.

http://www.history.com/s...-who-built-america/about
Matt
Era 3
DB lokos, coaches and freight cars from across Europe
But I do have the obligatory (six) SBB Krocs
ECoS 50200, all FX and MFX decoders replaced with ESU V4s, operated in DCC-RailCom+ with ABC brake control.
With the exception of the passenger wagens with Marklin current conducting couplers, all close couplers have been replaced with Roco 40397.
Offline Danlake  
#5 Posted : 16 May 2014 06:12:27(UTC)
Danlake

New Zealand   
Joined: 03/08/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,571
As I understand Canada has already committed to phase out the DOT-111 cars within 3 years, however US legislation is still in the pipeline…

Does anyone know what the regulations are in EU and how it compares with North America?

Interesting that the Canadian legislation now requires stricter and higher insurance premium for such hazardous transportations. I think this will help somewhat to increase the overall safety standard for such transportation, as the rail companies will be forced to put higher standards and procedures in place.

But I agree the whole idea of shipping crude oil in small tanks on rail is inefficient and not the safest mean of transportation.

Brgds - Lasse
Digital 11m2 layout / C (M&K) tracks / Era IV / CS3 60226 / Train Controller Gold 9 with 4D sound. Mainly Danish and German Locomotives.
Offline H0  
#6 Posted : 16 May 2014 07:49:42(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: witzlerh Go to Quoted Post
Note that they were only recently outdated. News loves to hype things up.
It seems that NTSB studies/investigations from 1991/1992 already show that those cars are not safe. This leads to headlines like "Lac-Megantic: derailed DOT-111 rail cars investigated long before disaster".

Originally Posted by: witzlerh Go to Quoted Post
Yes there is a need for better tank cars and yes they are building them as fast as possible.
Cars built after October 2011 will be brought to the new safety standards, but older cars won't be upgraded.
Typically rail cars are in service for 30 years.

I don't know how safety regulations are in Europe.

But without pressure the industry won't spend more money than needed on safety measures.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
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Offline witzlerh  
#7 Posted : 16 May 2014 16:50:37(UTC)
witzlerh

Canada   
Joined: 25/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 417
Location: Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Hmm.
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufactures found that the light Bakken crude oil carried in the 2 high profile spills recently still meet the safety standards...
I can see that happening. It does place this oil on the other end of the spectrum to the heavy crude oil we used to predominately ship, especially from the Canadian north.

Regardless, the tank cars are being upgraded. Now the railways need to focus on safer transport and there is movement there.
Personally, a one man unit oil train is stupid. The risk is too high for him to overlook something. 2 man crews double check and back each other up. All carriers are now doing this.

Accidents will happen but incidents like the MM&A will no longer happen.
Harald
CS2 DB & Canadian Era 3-6
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by witzlerh
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