I saw this on the pass, I don’t think I have ever seen one like it. What is it for? And why no dome?
By the placard you can tell its a refrigerated gas car … I think that is Argon … the UN number looks to be 1951 which is Argon … Liquid Refrigerated Carbon Dioxide uses tanks like that also and has a UN number ob 2187.
As per why no dome … I do believe … tho I could be wrong … that it has something to do with the refrigeration so they have it all inside those cupboard looking doors.
Thanks. Actually it’s 1451 (that’s what it looks like to me). I’ll look it up.
OK it says it’s Cesium nitrate.
It is a Agron gas car…
Netural non hazmat gas.
Under pressure, it is a liquid, at atmosphere, it becomes a gas.
Used to make other chemicals, and in some welding applications, also used in a lot of lighting…bulbs, lasers, and as a “blanket” material to seal double paned windows.
Shake the car up a bit, and it vents through a over pressure valve, makes a neat plume of “steam” shooting out the vent, scares the heck out of civilians at crossings!
See the pipe running up the side of the car near the right hand band?
The end on the pipe has a screen/baffle, when the car is loaded and its contents get shaken, the liquid expands, and vents out the pipe…the instant it reaches the ambient air pressure, it flashes over to a gas…wont hurt a thing, I have stuck my hand in it(older cars have the vent at the bottom side)…cool from the expansion, but not cold like nitrogen.
When it vents, it makes a high pitched screeching/whistling sound, almost like a scream…stop one on a crossing when it is venting, and watch the people trying to back up…
Get them here all the time out to Air Products and Praxair to be filled.
These cars are leased to Praxair…(see the little green logo midcar)
The box on the side contains the pressure controls, and a small intercooler and a compressor.
Ed
I would not have been able to answer Chad’s questions about this car, but this is what I like about this forum. You can learn so much from others who are a lot more knowledgeable about things like this.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
Thanks Ed.
Your welcome…
here is a link for the use or Argon…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argon
We seem to get a lot of the odd cars down here, just moved a Schnable out of the docks last night…I was not there, or would have got photos…who owns the bule ones?
Ed
[:D]no no no your all wrong thats a tanker for carrying[alien] ALIEN [alien]alcholic beverages the government wants you to think its a refer tanker
You’re all wrong! Those are water cars,often found about every 25 cars in those trains of white boxcars with shackles![:O]
We don’t see these cars very often up here, but do get their larger cousins, used for transporting liquefied ethylene.
Cars like this are like giant Thermos bottles–there is a tank within a tank, the two separated by a vacuum layer. That explains the lack of a dome or manway. There may be a gasket of sorts on the outside (much like one would find on a pressure cooker), though probably not on these (Ed says the argon cars vent, but that’s probably not a good idea for ethylene!).
Praxair, by the way, was a spinoff company from Union Carbide, of which the Linde Company was a subsidiary.
Tankcars screaming at crossings. That would be funny.
Telling the people who are backing away it’s a gas really. =) Or maybe not.
Learn something new everyday!
Chad; About 3wks. ago while passing thru Phx. Az. on I10 I saw one of those cars on BNSF heading south to Tucson . I tried to ID . the car then , but couldn’t . Really good picture of yours . Respectfully Switch8frg.
Heh heh heh… you do enjoy your job, don’t you…? [swg]
I see these cars every once in a while. Unfortunately, I have never got to see any venting.
I did see a corn syrup tankcar that was being unloaded and the steam hose came loose. That was a pretty good sight.
It has its moments!
We flat switch, and I kicked one down next to a rookie…when it hit, the car vented a lot, (we had been going back and forth switching out singles, and the car had been shaken up a lot) …this kids cleared tracks in single bounds, and was across the parking lot faster than I ever though anyone could move.
It took a trainmaster to convince him there was no leak in the car, and that nothing was wrong.
He was sure the car had sprung a leak, and just knew he was going to die if he didnt get to his pick up.
I found out about the vent process the hard way too.
Back when I was a brand new switchman, I worked the job that pulled Air Products.
This night, we had a 90 day wonder for a foreman, an engineer that might have been 21 or 22 years old, and myself, a 38 year old rookie.
We had pulled the plant, lined everything up, and I had done a walkset to the rear, checking the brakes.
I slapped the pressure gauge on the rear, got the right psi, then had the engineer do a set and release, and shove back to pick me up.
Just as the engine stopped next to me, we hear this god awful scream.
It sounded like someone in tremendous pain.
The foreman went white as a sheet, his eyes got all big…he was sure we had backed over someone.
This is out in the middle of no where, a swamp for the most part, and the only thing out there was the Air Products plant, and the road cros
Oh that’s just too funny Ed.
That’s mean.[}:)]
Although, I’ve done the same thing to newbies with carbon dioxide cars. [:P]
Nick
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What a Hoot!
WHAT A HOOT!
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