I am planning on having a Diesel Fueling facility located on my layout. The question is, How is the fuel served to the facility? Does it come in via rail or on the backs of 18 wheelers? I have no idea as to the capacity of a modern diesel loco’s fuel tank.
Any thoughts?
Thanks Chris
Chris,
I would image that it can come either way nowadays. In earlier days, the diesel fuel was pumped out of the tank cars into either an above or below ground storage tank. If the railroad was small, sometimes fuel trucks just pulled up along side the locomotives and fueled them directly that way.
I have the Walthers fueling facility on my layout.
(Click pictures to enlarge)
It comes with a pump house and an above-ground storage tank so I just bring in tank cars to accomplish that task.
Tom
My fuel facility is a small setup, being a small shortline they bought used equipment from other roads, The second picture is a truck delivering fuel to the tank that is situated just to the right of the truck, the tank is remote from the fuel rack.
Thanks Tom! That is the same kit I have as well. I guess if it was an extremely large facility, then it would be worthwhile to bring the loads in via rail.
Chris
I have the same facility, it’s one of few available unless you build from scratch. But that’s not why I’m replying. I was just wondering, would Via Rail, a passenger train, be transporting fuel to refueling facilities for refueling purposes. Isn’t that kinda dangerous and more of a freight train job?
Just curious…
Trevor
Chris,Just for fun…Some short lines and major railroads that have locomotives assign to smaller cities has a contract fuel dealer to refuel their locomotives.[:D]
don’t forget that next to most fueling facilities there will also be a sanding tower…sand is a vital part of railroad operation too since it’s carried by the locomotives for traction purposes…chuck
Chuck,
Yep. That’s why I have mine at the end (or beginning) of my fueling platform.
Chris,
I originally cut down my Walthers fueling facility by removing one of the bays because it was going to be too wide. (My servicing track was closer together at that time.) If your layout is small - even with only one bay - the fueling platform still looks just fine.
Tom
My thoughts from working at a diesel roundhouse.
Locomotive diesel tanks range from 1500 to over 3000 gal. Railroads are not known to waste revenues, why truck if one owns a tank car, has better purchasing power from bulk buying of fuel.
Having a fuel tank spur, will add to operations, as well as a covered sand hopper, and if the track is long enought for three cars, a shipping recieving dock supporting even a small shop.Perhaps even a derail device between the tank and box car to prevent fueling accidents,
Shipping and recieving will also support the Signal Dept, Bridge and Building Dept and Track Dept and Maint of Way Departments. As well a trucking.
Heres a question if you truck fuel to your locomotives, how do you sand them, a ladder alongside F units so an emplowee can pour bagged sand in the side sand hatch, or carry it up the vertical ladder on the nose of a geep ( several bags ) to pour it into the top sand hatch. So with that thought in mind is why I say a small sand tower supporting a coverd hopper, even a single fuel nozzle to support the tank car, and if one has the real estate to set out various types of cars supporting shipping and recieving go.
But in reality its compression, Prototype is miles, modeling is inches., just my 2 cents John
I already have the sanding facility kit as well, which will be going along the same track. It did seem to me as a wise decision on the railroad’s part to ship in via rail just to get the best price available, but since I have never worked for a railroad, I could have been wrong on the assumption.
Thanks for all of the great information. It seems I learn more and more each day about both the hobby and actual operations.
Chris
Having operated an aviation fuel farm, the decision to use trucks, pipelines, or RR tank cars usually depends on total costs, and fuel usage rates. Current enviromental regs favor trucks because any permanent installations of tanks and distribution systems have to have so many spill safeguards. Trucks also have the advantage of portability - they have their own pumps for transferring fuel and their own power for the pumps.
But trucks are not practical when you start running more than one tanker truck per day. What happens when the road gets closed or a tanker get delayed by accident, weather, or driver mess up? Unless you have your own storage - with its attendant costs and safeguards - the probability of not having fuel when you need it becomes too high.
Once you start down the road of having permanent, fixed facilities (tanks and distribution) then incoming delivery by pipeline or RR tank car
So true! But after modeling my shortline with minimal service facilities I’ve determined that my next layout will have more engine maintenance items to play with. [:P]
Hey Chris,
I was at Galesburg this year and went on the yard tour, they have a 2 million gallon “tank” and several rail fuel tankers on site. The guide said they occassionally send these tankers out to places low on fuel for one reason or another. The Dash 9 they had on dispaly had a 5300 gallon tank.
Guy
I have the same facility as Tstage but mine is set up on the same tracks as the rail rebuilders shop. Which the locomotive has to back up out of the track area go onto the turntable thn get switched to the OB track to get the cars. But I am adding some platforms to accomidate some American Limited models Snyder Fuel Cranes who knows I my just have to add another fueling section on this part of the layout to accomidate them.
Fwright I agree with you…but what I was refering to was a Model Railroad and how and why one can get a better operation. If there is a fuel truck, then that is a static display and end of operation…, perhaps even a limited fuel, sand facility, and a railroad related supplys dock would give more swiching operation value to the pike, using a single spur…John.
The shortline here has a tank car full of fuel sitting on a track in the yard with a hose from the bottom like at a gas station. Since the bottom of the tank car is about as high as the fill on the loco, gravity will push fuel inro the loco. If they are in a hurry or just need a couple hundred gallons, the local dealer drives into the yard and delivers right to the loco.
TStage, nice job!
I’ve always been a fan of diesel loco service facilities.
Looking forward to seeing more photos of your progress.[;)]
High Greens.
While a RR may have millions of gallons in stock at big locations a tank car in a train is non-revenue tonnage and space in the train. In the current/modrn context there is also the issue of environmental concerns - so what you do is probably era dependent - but modern storage of any liquids (except clean water) has to be bunded (have spill walls) and is environmentally monitored. this almost certainly makes it cheaper to pass the buck to a local supplier with a truck that has its own pump - and probably meter - In earlier times gravity could be used both into locos and storage… if necessary a track could be raised to help just the same as hopper cars would have been raised to dump loco coal into bins… but I’ve never seen pics of either for the US… ? Cheap fuel means pumps or bucket conveyors???
Golden Rule: If gravity will do it for you don’t pay for energy.
Alos… fuel (of any kind0 left around any remote/partially manned depot can be pilfered. I’ve even known diesel be siphoned off from locos standing waiting to work on an MoW job… if they’d left enough in the tanks for the locos to get home no-one would have noticed but the locos ran dry after being topped off before coming out… no-way… perps got caught… helped by additives which show what/where/when diesel is.
Do you use the same diesel in locos as trucks/autos nand is the tax the same or reclaimed?
At the big Enola yards in Enola, Pa across the Susquahanna river from Harrisburg they have large storage tanks to fuel the locomotives. The fuel racks are near the engine shops right in the middle of the yard. They also run a pipe on the side of the Rockville bridge across the river to fuel the engines that run out of the Harrisburg yard.
A few yars ago some coal cars derailed on the Rockville bridge dropped into the river and tore the pipe open. Spilled some fuel as well as coal into the river. Did NOT hurt the bridge.
Here on the Florida west on some occasions tranker trucks will supply fuel to locomotives. A small service facility is in Lakeland, but once in a while units wind up staying out on the road longer then planned and end up running low on the “dinosaur juice”.