Author Topic: 30000 Gal Tank Cars  (Read 1399 times)

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ljudice

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30000 Gal Tank Cars
« on: May 25, 2009, 01:22:54 PM »
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Walkercolt and I were discussing this toward the end of another thread...

Any prototypes out there for 30k Tank Cars similar (enough to stand in for) to the Athearn Ethanol tank that ran in the 1990's - say 1993+ ???

I've seen some earlier cars in the UTLX series that could be close - but any others? I mean was this a car type that just did not exist prior to 2005?


Walkercolt

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Re: 30000 Gal Tank Cars
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2009, 02:00:57 AM »
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Lou, the now closed Trinity plant is just down the street from my house. During the 80's they were making some 30,000 tankcars, but not like any other cars I've ever seen. If you do the math, only low density liquids could be hauled in a 30,000 gallon car and not go over 250 tons total weight with tank and contents. Most I saw were designed for medium pressure (less than 125 PSI as an educated guess) from the thickness of the ends and the plates rolled to be welded-up into the tank. I'd guess they were to haul methanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone or other light solvents, maybe ethers too. They never spent much time in any yard. They were loaded and put into trains usually the same day, if not the same shift. They came out of the old Sunoco refinery loading dock which is less than 1000' from the BNSF Cherokee Yard in Tulsa. A few made it to the SKO yard and went north into Kansas. (Coffeeville or further north or onto the UP, I can't say.) I have few good photos of them. I think most got GATX reporting marks. It's my impression that they were longish, at least 65', but I never measured one.

SkipGear

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Re: 30000 Gal Tank Cars
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2009, 11:50:07 AM »
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Like this?



When the Verasun ethanol plant north of us was in full swing during the fuel price spike last year, I would see strings of 20 or more of these cars, brand new. Also complimenting them were brand new Trinity grain hoppers.



To the plant, loaded hoppers, empty tanks......return with loaded tanks and empty hoppers daily.

Fuel prices tanked and Verasun went into bankruptcy so I see them no more.
Tony Hines

ljudice

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Re: 30000 Gal Tank Cars
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2009, 11:30:04 PM »
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Nice shots!!!

Yep, those look like them, but I bet they are new - built for the Ethanol rush!

What I'm looking for are older cars of similar design/capacity to backdate the Athearn cars to 1993-1996 or so...