Trains.com

6 axle tank cars??

8251 views
39 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
6 axle tank cars??
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 11, 2005 9:11 PM
today i saw 8 6 axle tank cars go through strong city about 6 this evening, they all had roofwalks too i have never seen these before?
Anybody have pics, i was not quick enough with the camera to take a pic train, the train was clipping along at a pretty good speed.
thanks
Daniel
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • 43 posts
Posted by John Krug on Sunday, September 11, 2005 9:36 PM
I would suspect that they are at least 15 or more years old. I don't know of any recent manufacture of these cars. The industry doesn't like them too well. They have a tendency to go on the ground too easy. Dupont was one customer that had them. I don't remember the others.
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Sunday, September 11, 2005 10:16 PM
http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/pvt-tank/celx/celx6420.jpg

Look something like these?
Did you get any reporting marks?

Ed

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    May 2015
  • 5,134 posts
Posted by ericsp on Sunday, September 11, 2005 10:44 PM
Have look at the this website.

"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 7:10 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/pvt-tank/celx/celx6420.jpg

Look something like these?
Did you get any reporting marks?

Ed


Thats them!!!
THanks
man they are massive!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 2:45 PM
Dan, the CN 5414 is a SD 50f. This is according to the CN Locomotive Roster. I cannot remember what you had said yesterday. Looks like they moved the unit a little further east near a crossing so that the bigger repair trucks could have better access to the front end. I don't have any idea what repairs were being made. I drove up as close as I dared without interferring and then turned around and left.
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Near Promentory UT
  • 1,590 posts
Posted by dldance on Monday, September 12, 2005 3:30 PM
thanks for the tanks - I have never seen the 6 axle tanks but I did see the 8 axle monster that is now at the Galveston RR Museum.

dd
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Monday, September 12, 2005 3:39 PM
By the way, the six axle trucks are claed "Buck eye" trucks...it is cast into the side frame!

Ed

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 4:30 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by RLHainey

Dan, the CN 5414 is a SD 50f. This is according to the CN Locomotive Roster. I cannot remember what you had said yesterday. Looks like they moved the unit a little further east near a crossing so that the bigger repair trucks could have better access to the front end. I don't have any idea what repairs were being made. I drove up as close as I dared without interferring and then turned around and left.


Hey roalnd i took some pics of the unit i will post them on here today!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 4:48 PM
hey roland that is what i said yesterday![:D]

ttyyl dude
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 6:09 PM
By chance do you know what repairs were going on? They were replacing any electrical or tractive parts. Looks like it may have been something around the coupler/drawbar area.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 6:18 PM
Likely the Celeanse CELX tank cars that run on the M-AMSKCK all the time. They come from Kings Mill, TX. Not really all that rare, actually.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 6:24 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by RLHainey

By chance do you know what repairs were going on? They were replacing any electrical or tractive parts. Looks like it may have been something around the coupler/drawbar area.

I do not really know what was going on, there was no one around yesterday evening. i was over at strong for about an hour and saw i train come through, it had a pretty awesoem consit too, a c44-9w BNSF, BN sd9!!, nrex or nerx i dunno which sd50 in up colors, a grey nrex or nerx sd40t-2, a ATSF b23-7, and a BN sd40-2!!!! And there were lots of cool frieght cars!! including those monster tank cars!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 6:28 PM
It seems like having any sort of 6 axle frieght car trucks in use would cause more maintenance pains and require shops to carry more parts.

mononfan865

Norfolk Southern d9-40cw MONON ALCO c-420.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 6:35 PM
I don't have any pictures of these tank cars but I will say that back in the 1990s I used to see them a lot. At least every chemical tank train had a few of these. I still see these tank cars every once in a while, and they are indeed very big.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 6:37 PM
Nice shot Dan!! Like I mentioned earlier, they must have moved the engine this morning to make repairs.
Would that have been FURX on that one locomotive?
I am headed east this evening, maybe I'll get lucky and see something.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 12, 2005 7:28 PM
in alliance tx i have seen 8 axles tank cars. i guess they are double the size of a normal tank car but i am not sure.
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Paradise, Kelowna, B.C. Moved from PARADISE to AB.
  • 10 posts
Posted by Boxcar Willy on Monday, September 12, 2005 7:43 PM
Originally posted by edblysard

http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/pvt-tank/celx/celx6420.jpg

Look something like these?
Did you get any reporting marks?

Ed
Boy!! That's some kinda tank car!
Boxcar Willy.
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Allen, TX
  • 1,320 posts
Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 11:36 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

Have look at the this website.


That web site looks like a winner in a Most Narrowly Defined Web Site contest ("A web site about six- and eight-axle tank cars"). Or is there a web site devoted to cast iron flanged wheels (but not axles) or maybe just traction motor support bearings? [:D][:D]

Chuck

Chuck
Allen, TX

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Harrisburg PA / Dover AFB DE
  • 1,482 posts
Posted by adrianspeeder on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 12:37 PM
Still pretty cool though, made it to my bookmark list.

Adrianspeeder

USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 6:14 PM
Well,
The whale belly web site is one used by modelers looking for prototype photos...A friend of mine must have thousands of photos of a Cargill Corn Syrup tank car, a specific type, along with builders elevations and numerous measurements he made,,, and his design is now in production by Atlas...its on their "New Products" website.

By the way, he is a Trains forum member...

Look at the model page on the website and you can see the work of some of the folks..

Ed

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Harrisburg PA / Dover AFB DE
  • 1,482 posts
Posted by adrianspeeder on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 6:28 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

Well,
The whale belly web site is one used by modelers looking for prototype photos...A friend of mine must have thousands of photos of a Cargill Corn Syrup tank car, a specific type, along with builders elevations and numerous measurements he made,,, and his design is now in production by Atlas...its on their "New Products" website.

Look at the model page on the website and you can see the work of some of the folks..

Ed



You handle any of those Ed?

Adrianspeeder

USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 7:19 PM
All the time...
http://rwhales.railstuff.net/GATX/GATX_94688_MMP.htm
big bombs on wheels...
GCOR say I can only let two loads roll free at a time...gee, wonder why!

Ed

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Dallas, GA
  • 2,643 posts
Posted by TrainFreak409 on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 8:32 PM
I always did like the big, unusual freight cars. I wish we got some of them through western Maryland. [sigh]

Scott - Dispatcher, Norfolk Southern

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 8:47 PM
Most of the whales carry refinery product...LPG, butadiene, propane...unless you have a user there, odds are you won’t see one...they stay around here, Louisiana and California a lot...
Ed

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • 964 posts
Posted by TH&B on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 8:50 PM
I like them too, I used to see them around Niagra Falls NY, but I never see them any more ;-(
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 9:21 PM
....I have seen 6-axle tank cars roll through Muncie, In. here back when our double track east / west line was Conrail. Haven't noticed any recently and since it now is CSX. There may still be some but I have not seen any for some time now.....

Quentin

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 10:25 PM
Usually 2 to 6 CELX cars are on NS 111 from Louisville, Ky to Danville, KY. Not sure of their origin, destination, or contents. They are quite a sight to see!
  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 12:18 AM
I haven't seen one up my way in ages!

I think you'll find these cars (or whichever series of such cars you usually see) on the same routes all the time, hauling the same commodity from one origin to one destination (and returning empty). Hard to believe that we Chicagoans miss out on most, if not all, of these movements, but it's not hard to visualize Houston as being a focal point for such cars.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 10:02 AM
mononfan....they gotta use 6 axle trucks because of the weight of that commodity and subdivision weight restrictions. if i remember right, those cars are full of acid.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy