how do you unload the older riveted tank cars, were they unloaded from the bottom or were they sucked out from the top, am wanting to model some area’s for unloading[banghead]
It depends on the design of the tank car, and the commodity. Look for pictures of prototype operations of the commodity like you want your model industry.
This one can be unloaded from the bottom. You can see the piping from the lower sides of the tank in some of these shots.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/ade.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/aak.jpg
and the tank is “cushioned” on wooden risers.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/aal.jpg
It recently got refurbished, and I’ve got a shot at home I’ll have to post later.
Rick,
Along with the answers that you get here, MR puts out a couple of books that might be helpful to you, too:
I’ve skimmed through them at my LHS and thought they looked like good references.
Tom
We had a discussion about this a while back while I was trying to figure out how the unloading booms that came with a Walthers kit would actually be used. The consensus was that some cars could be unloaded from the bottom, and those would have visible valves, but others, and particularly newer cars, would be unloaded from the top by pressurizing the car through one valve and drawing the fuel out through another.
This would be a safer configuration than bottom-unloading, because a valve leak or failure would not result in a spill, since the valves are all at the top.
Most of my deliveries will be probally bulk oil, furnace oil and maybe diesel if i decide to “allow”[:-^] some diesel’s onto my layout.
Thank you for those awsome pictures of the tank car, i had never seen an actual “real photo” of an tank car, mostly black and white and older crappy pictures.[bow]
If anyone can provide some more that would be great!![dinner]
I will be buying those books this weekend thank you for the pictures of those, so now i can go and ask without looking too silly.[%-)]