On some of the 30,000 gallon tank cars that usually carry ethanol or crude oil, there are white end caps but the rest of the car is black. Does this indicate something such as extra puncture protection in case of a derailment?
Admittedly speculating, but could this possibly more be a matter of painting the center part of the car black, to mask spillage?
I recall reading one account years ago where sloppy loading had left spillage marks streaking down the side of the car, and the customer rejected the delivery on the suspicion the contents might be short.
I’ve seen molten sulphur cars with the middles painted yellow, likely for the same reason.
As for indicating that a shipment might be short, maybe. I would think that the receiver would be checking his end of the shipment.
From the railroad viewpoint the shipment is billed on weight - the weight is determined either by weighing on a certified railroad own scale or the shippers declared weight in accordance with the rules about ‘Shippers Weight Agreement’. The consignee is not prevented from having the car weighed, either on the consignees own scales or by paying an extra charge having the car weighed on the nearest railroad scale.
Shippers with Weight Agreements are randomly audited by the bureau that issues the Weight Agreements for accurate conformance to the rules concerning how the weights stated on the Bill of Lading are accurately reported.
Trade between Shippers and Consignees is based on their trust of each other. If they don’t trust each other it is difficult to do business.
I ncannot speak to any of the ‘requirements’ fr those specific marking of tank cars…I would speculate that they might be specific’ to certain shippers, or their receivers.
Tank cars seem to travel in ‘groups’ on their journeys(*?). Their cargoes covered by a ’ Federally required placcarding of their specific contents, or empty returning conditions of those cars and their previous contents.
I live on a route that feeds East and West into, and off of, the BNSFs Southern Transcon. East takes traffic towards the KCKS/KCMO area, via Gardner,Ks Logistics Facility; as well as, the Argentine Yard Facility at KCKS. West takes one towards Amarillo,Tx and Albuquerque,NM, not to mention anywhere else West for the BNSF. A regular appearance around here, in SC Kansas is a string of various(Medium cap?) sized non-descript tanks. Some of them seem to have a white strip marked on thire ends, across the top part of the end. They seem to run West on weekend days, and return during the early part of the following week; unable top see the specific Haz-Mat placcards, but I guess they are probably, corporate-use consumables(?), Fuel, oil,etc.
Just a guess, but they are weekly regulars thru here.