Tank Car Train

[Anonymous]

On the way to work this morning a tank car train passed me that I thought was unusual. There were approximately 20 tank cars and each tank car was connected to the next with a flexible hose approximately 12" in diameter. The cars had GATX marking and were pulled by two UP locomotives. The train was south bound on UP's California coast route in the Madrone area near Morgan Hill, CA. Unfortunately the train was going in the opposite direction and I did not have a chance to get a closer look. Does anyone have an idea what this train might have been?

[mudchicken]

Union76/Unocal, Chevron and Texaco/Tosco all take in Central California/ Bakersfield oil in dedicated unit trains between the refineries in the LA Basin, Bay Area and other locations. The GATX & UTLX "tank trains" have been around since the 1980's.....

[CShaveRR]

The hoses connecting the cars allow all cars so connected to be loaded or unloaded from one point. I saw a GATX-sponsored demonstration of the principle once, but couldn't elaborate on it (have I forgotten so much of my college physics already?).

[Anonymous]

Thanks to mudchicken and CShaveRR for their responses. Learn something new everyday.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Loren Cantrell

Thanks to mudchicken and CShaveRR for their responses. Learn something new everyday.

[#ditto]

That idea never would have even occured to me, it's amazing what they think of.

[Anonymous]

cool, i saw that exact same train! i was sitting at the truckstop in Gilroy when it wandered by, heading south.