It looks like the trailer was almost out of the crossing when hit by the train - unless there was a problem with the signal it looks luck the truck driver was at fault.
The trailer is a cryogenic tank, and with the “no open flames or smoking within 25” suggests that the truck was carrying something flammable such as LNG or carrying LOX. From the frost on the valves it definitely had some liquid cryogen in the tank. If it was LNG, the results could have been a lot worse had the truck 10 or so feet behind where it got hit. LOX would also have been serious.
For those who weren’t into rockets, LOX is short for liquid oxygen. The hazard with LOX is that any fires will be much more intense in pure oxygen.
Airgas was acquired by Air Liquide (as the mudflap indicates) in 2016, so the usual trucker bankruptcy dodge wouldn’t apply.
I don’t see Airgas providing either LNG or cryomethane in tanker-load lots:
https://www.airgas.com/Gases/category/279
and my guess would be liquid nitrogen.with the lack of excitement seen in the picture
From the size of the trailer and the green UN identity number listed on the top it was a liquid nitrogen tanker. Basically it was carrying 78 percent of the normal atmosphere. From Google earth the crossings as just south of this one is the NS line also their all protected by flashing lights only no crossing gates at all. Area is an industrial commercial area.
Both those crossings have gates there…?
News report said construction in the area.
Looks like if he would have pulled up another couple of inches he would have been fine.
Try inhaling it.
Especially at –321° F!
Cheers, Ed
Nah -321 is a little cold. But once it evaporated out of the trailer there’s no need to panic. Hell the msds for clean up for LN2 literally says contain if possible otherwise clear the area and let it boil off naturally.
Well of course but it could have been a dangerous situation for South Bend crew and riders under slightly different circumstances.
The main danger from T-boning an LN2 tanker would be damage to the front end of the leading MU car and freeze damage to tissues from the LN2 itself if it gets into the interior. Unless the air was quite still, the nitrogen would likely dissipate before it became a hypoxia hazard.
My dermatologist squirted small amounts of LN2 on a couple of potentially pre-cancerous spots on my legs. The areas treated needed to be protected for a few days - don’t want to think what would happen if my lungs got the same treatment.
Or the contents of a tank truck. I wonder if the police investigation will assess fault?
I would hate to think what might have happened if Nitrogen gas filled an EMU passenger car. There have been deaths due to N displacing Oxygen in confined spaces.