Non-oil car at front of oil train?

[BaltACD]

herdebu

Are the oil companies charged a rate on these cars or does the railroad simply furnish them for thier own protection?

Shipper is not charged for the buffers directly, however, I would expect the cost of them is included in the overall rate for the train.

[herdebu]

Are the oil companies charged a rate on these cars or does the railroad simply furnish them for thier own protection?

 

[edblysard]

Per both UP and BNSF’s placement in train charts, no hazardous placarded car may be placed closer than the 6^th car from a occupied locomotive, caboose or outfit car, unless the train is a unit train, where all the cars are carrying the same product, then only one car separation is required.

On dedicated unit trains, like the crude trains or, in the instance of my carrier, fuel trains of diesel it is simpler and cheaper to place older hoppers that no longer earns revenue on each end and leave them there, so no one has to hunt around for a cover (buffer) car and no shipper comes up short a box or hopper.

Most of the hoppers we deal with are half to three quarters full of sand.

[ouibejamn]

CSSHEGEWISCH

I've also noticed that the buffer cars on BNSF are stenciled for that service only. I'm not sure if they are numbered in an M/W series or not.

Learn something every day in spite of myself.  I always wondered if they were revenue cars (grain, sand, etc.) that just happened to be going in the same direction as the oil, realizing that grains are grown in some of the same areas as oil is pumped.

[NorthWest]

Most of the buffer cars are functionally obsolete (too small) and would see scrapping if not for their leftover years.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I've also noticed that the buffer cars on BNSF are stenciled for that service only.  I'm not sure if they are numbered in an M/W series or not.

[BaltACD]

tree68

It's called a buffer car.  You'll always see one between the power and the first tank car.  Sometimes, to simplify things, they'll leave a buffer car on the other end, too, so they can just put power on that end and haul the train in the other direction.

 

 

Helper power - be it manned or DPU must also be separated from a HAZMAT unit train by a non-HAZMAT car.  In the case of Oil Trains, the buffer cars are normally covered hoppers loaded with sand, and owned by the originating carrier of the shipment.

[Deggesty]

Larry has it--it puts a little more distance between the hazardous material and the engine. In a train of mixed freight, it is possible to have two classifications of hazmat that are not to be adjacent; in most cases of such makeup, it is easy to use one or more revenue cars of non hazmat as the buffer between such; this buffering would not be as evident as the buffering in a train that has only one class of hazmat needing separation from other equipment.

[rluke]

I believe those are buffer cars. There has to be a certain number of between oil cars (or other hazmat) and an occupied locomotive.   Others can chime in with more details on the exact rules.

 

Rich

[tree68]

It's called a buffer car.  You'll always see one between the power and the first tank car.  Sometimes, to simplify things, they'll leave a buffer car on the other end, too, so they can just put power on that end and haul the train in the other direction.

 

[phkmn2000]

Forgive me for asking this if answered already - could not find a search function:  viewing the Rochelle webcam, there's almost always a non-oil car between the motive power and the rest of the train.  I assume it's there for a reason?