Loading tank containers

[ericsp]

When most of us think about loading and unloading container, we think about them being unloaded from the flat car or container car first. While probably this is done over 99% of the time, there are exceptions. I was driving on the surface of the moon, otherwise know as southwestern Kern County, today and drove by the Taft Manufacturing Company plant. I noticed that they load, or possibly unload, tank containers while they are sitting on the flatcars. I wonder if I should post this in the modeling forum also.

[chad_thomas]

Interesting, I never thought about that. So do they get switched in & out with the “loose car” locals ordo they get set outs &pick ups from the intermodals. It does open up some modeling possibilities.

[ericsp]

Interesting, I never thought about that. So do they get switched in & out with the “loose car” locals ordo they get set outs &pick ups from the intermodals. It does open up some modeling possibilities.

It is on the SJVR in the middle of nowhere. They also had tankcars there.

[chad_thomas]

Ah, I see. So what kind of cars were they on? Spine, 89’ TTX flats, well cars?

[greyhounds]

Interesting, I never thought about that. So do they get switched in & out with the “loose car” locals ordo they get set outs &pick ups from the intermodals. It does open up some modeling possibilities.

It’s gotta’ be loose car railroading. None of the big six is going to stop an intermodal train to switch an industry.

One of the keys to intermodal profitability is high equipment utilization. An intermodal car gets a revenue load every few days instead of once a month. “Loose car” operations just kill that. So this isn’t all that common. But it can make sense in the right application. i.e., If the tank container load would exceed highway weight limits and the railroads can get paid enough to do it.

[broncoman]

So would there be a track close by to the intermodel area so that when a container is unloaded from a well car it can go to either a flat car or skeleton trailer?

Dave

[SALfan]

I was driving on the surface of the moon, otherwise know as southwestern Kern County, today and drove by the Taft Manufacturing Company plant.

Had to chuckle at your description. I’ve been to Taft, CA, and your description is dead-on accurate except the surface of the moon is prettier.

[dldance]

Interesting, I never thought about that. So do they get switched in & out with the “loose car” locals ordo they get set outs &pick ups from the intermodals. It does open up some modeling possibilities.

It’s gotta’ be loose car railroading. None of the big six is going to stop an intermodal train to switch an industry.

One of the keys to intermodal profitability is high equipment utilization. An intermodal car gets a revenue load every few days instead of once a month. “Loose car” operations just kill that. So this isn’t all that common. But it can make sense in the right application. i.e., If the tank container load would exceed highway weight limits and the railroads can get paid enough to do it.

according to one of my sources in the specialty chemicals industry, ISO Tank Containers are quite expensive and the stuff in them is even more expensive so they are looking for whatever is fastest. ISO Tanks have very high equipment utilization.

dd

[ericsp]

Ah, I see. So what kind of cars were they on? Spine, 89’ TTX flats, well cars?

89’ flatcars

Here is a satellite photograph of the plant. There were four flatcars and two tankcars that day. It seems like those numbers were reversed yesterday. I was out there a few years ago and saw the containers on the flatcars then also.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=18&ll=35.144007,-119.237725&spn=0.002426,0.005842&t=h&om=1