The rental business next to my office is setting up a big fireworks stand. They have a semi trailer that is being unloaded. By my calculations, there is about $150,000 worth of fireworks in a semi van. That would make a railcar full of fireworks worth something in the half million dollar range? Oddly, the semi van is a refer, and there is no kind of placard on the van. Seems like at the minimum, it should have a sign that says "no lighting of fireworks within 500 feet".
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I suspect very large amounts of fireworks come into the US via container, and move inland to wholesalers via rail. A quick glance at placarding regulations show that consumer fireworks (placarded are governed by the weight of the explosive matter (versus total shipment weight) and do not require placarding until the weight of the matter reaches 1,000 lbs. With that, you'd have to have a pretty large amount of packaged fireworks to need a placard on the trailer. For you hazmat experts - if the trailer is used just for storage on private property (instead of transportation on a public roadway), do placarding regulations apply? Or do the usual hazmat storage regulations apply instead?
Yes, some fireworks does go by rail. I saw it listed (hazmat location and response info) on a train list a while back. As I recall, what I saw wasn't an entire container load by itself, but mixed in with other freight.
Jeff
I had not thought of this matter, but I have known, for many, many years, that the Postal Service does not accept fireworks knowingly. Back about 1950, my brother and I ordered, by mail, a large package of firecrackers--and they were shipped to us by Railway Express.
The package lasted us quite some time.
Johnny
The American Fireworks Company of Hudson, Ohio has been in business in the same location since 1902. They ship by truck, as no no railroad spur or siding serves their business, nor ever seems to have.
A fireworks stand next to your office? Talk about convenience!
You lucky man you! I have to drive for miles.
Firelock76 A fireworks stand next to your office? Talk about convenience! You lucky man you! I have to drive for miles.
Murphy SidingWhen I have to light a fire under one of my sales guys I prefer the old fashioned approach.
Norm
Fireworks stand next to a lumber place. No room next to the propane dealer?
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Murphy Siding I dont; know. I find that I don't have much use for them at the office.
I could find use. Heh.
zugmann Murphy Siding I dont; know. I find that I don't have much use for them at the office. I could find use. Heh.
Quite true, there's no limits to the wonders strategically placed M-80's can perform!
But no cherry bombs down the toilets, why ruin everybody else's day?
zugmann Murphy Siding I could find use. Heh.
Murphy Siding
At your office or his?
Fire (no pun intended) lock76 is right: there's little like some strategically-placed M-80 (or M-100) action to spice up the day at the old lumberyard. Then if you have long enough poles in the yard the whole town can gather for s'mores afterward.
M-100's? When did THEY come out?
Dammit, I'm behind the curve again!
PS: Anyone remember the childhood legends such as "How many M-80's do you need to equal a stick of dynamite?"
And how M-80's got such a fearsome reputation that when one DID show up in the neighborhood it was as if the owner had gotten his hand on a tactical nuke?
My hubby used to use M-80's for scaring the cattle in his grandmothers neighbors pasture. But he is one those persons that had Roman Candle wars with his brothers. He says anykind of Fireworks with Gunpowder in them over 1 lbs total weight has to be placarded with an orange Placard as they are considered an explosive device by the Government.
Firelock76M-100's? When did THEY come out?
Well, before the time I started tinkering with dark German flake and titanium, that's for sure. You are one of the few on here who know what the "80" stood for; the 'gen-yoo-wine' military small-arms simulator uses 80 grains (and has no combustion space). That's really not very much until someone tries rolling one under a car, as my grandfather reputedly did in Princeton one time*. And it turns out to be a police car. Reportedly my grandmother, who was a fine patrician lady, did not respond well to the answer when she asked "Where's Elijah?"...
Yes, by extension there are M-250, M-500, and M-1000 (the last having as I recall something like 50 grams of perchlorate flash mixture, alas! still low order and far from a stick of dynamite, let alone composition 4 or RDX....
Various dopants to 'heighten the experience', such as producing the best smoke ring when deployed in a culvert.)
To paraphrase Herbert Spencer, to deploy a good pyrotechnic device is the mark of a well-rounded education, but to deploy too good a pyrotechnic device is ...
*Before my time. Or this would not have happened, at least where anyone could have been identified.
The Walmart stores have their fireworks delivered by their trucks from their distirbution points, since there are no sidings here in the mountains now. This week Walmart had a unintened fireworks demonstration inside the store which was quite impressive, not so to some folks.
Y6bs evergreen in my mind
zugmann Firelock76 A fireworks stand next to your office? Talk about convenience! You lucky man you! I have to drive for miles. Fireworks stand next to a lumber place. No room next to the propane dealer?
Firelock76 PS: Anyone remember the childhood legends such as "How many M-80's do you need to equal a stick of dynamite?"
4 M-80's = 1 stick of dynamite. I though every kid knew that.
Murphy Siding4 M-80's = 1 stick of dynamite. I though every kid knew that.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by fireworks - mostly because the City Fathers wouldn't allow anything more serious than sparklers.
Then I got the chance to play war with real bullets...
Since then, even though I've lived in a number of places where anything short of a 60mm mortar was legal, I've never been tempted to light off anything, not even a string of salutes...
As was noted above, there really isn't much 'bang' in consumer fireworks. Tight wrapping, not the small charge, is what makes the BANG. Open it up and spread it out, and you get a fizzle. (The Iowa class battleships carried 2700# AP shells with a mere 40# bursting charge, so you don't really need very much to generate a LOT of heavy high velocity fragments.)
Chuck (Artillery officer's son)
Why am I flashing (you should pardon the expression) on Ens. Frank Thurlowe Pulver? Fulminate of mercury, anyone?
Firelock76 M-100's? When did THEY come out? Dammit, I'm behind the curve again! PS: Anyone remember the childhood legends such as "How many M-80's do you need to equal a stick of dynamite?" And how M-80's got such a fearsome reputation that when one DID show up in the neighborhood it was as if the owner had gotten his hand on a tactical nuke?
I guess I would be rermiss not to ask... Sparkler Bombs? I know who loud they can get, and will put up a pretty good water column when thrown in a pond.
They were the firework of choice, after the M-80's, Cherry Bombs,and homebrew fireworks were taken out of the hands of the neighborhood thuglettes.
samfp1943 I guess I would be rermiss not to ask... Sparkler Bombs?
There are some highly interesting devices on YouTube, which I have not posted because in typical YouTube form it takes too long to get to the BOOM and then there is too much dithering, slo-mo, and such afterward. But definitely some good follow-on to the M-80...
Sparkler bombs? That's a new one on me, I've never heard of those.
But they sure sound like fun!
Anyone remember the kids rule about fireworks? Goes like this...
DON'T get caught with fireworks by your Mom, she'll take 'em away and you'll never see them again. If you HAVE to get caught make sure it's by your Dad. He might get a little mad at you for having them, but you'll get to shoot them off anyway as long as he's there to "supervise." Your Dad likes fireworks as much as you do!
I am located a few interstate miles from the Iowa border, which is a state that has outlawed most fireworks. There are several large retail fireworks operations here. They receive their stock in multiple containers from China, but I am not sure where they are switched off the rails. Unsold inventory at the end of the season goes back into the container, which I assume they purchase from the owner, and is recycled the following year.
ChuckCobleighWhy am I flashing (you should pardon the expression) on Ens. Frank Thurlowe Pulver? Fulminate of mercury, anyone?
Happy belated Fourth. And keep your steamlines tight!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.