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Round containers on container trains

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Round containers on container trains
Posted by dh28473 on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:08 PM

What is shipped in the round containers on intermodial container trains?

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Posted by csxns on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:09 PM

dh28473
round containers

Do they look like short tanks?

Russell

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Posted by dh28473 on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:15 PM

Yes half the length of a regular container about 20 ft in length

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Posted by csxns on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:18 PM

Around here a chemical plant gets them.

Russell

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Posted by RailEagle on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:46 PM

Some sort of liquid. Most of the ones I see have HAZMAT placards. Also I have NEVER seen one double stacked in any form. 

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Posted by JC UPTON on Monday, April 1, 2019 4:17 PM

There is a “standard“ called “ISO Tainer”, which is a horizontal cylinder in a rectangular frame...

It is roughly equivalent to a liquid ver of a intermodal....

 

 

from the Far East of the Sunset Route

(In the shadow of the Huey P Long bridge)

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Posted by greyhounds on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 10:54 PM

Way back when, we got a shipment of three 20' tank containers of pure tequila from Mexico in to Chicago.  The owner from San Francisco had shipped the product without selling it.  It was to be cut with water and sold as some brand of tequila but apparently he couldn't make the deal.

So, we had this 89' flatcar with three containers of tequila sitting on a side track near our intermodal ramp.  And one of them was leaking. Someone, it just could not have been a railroad worker, bought a stack of plastic cups and put them near the leaker.  

Eventually, someone else from San Francisco was sent to Chicago to deal with the situation.  It fell to me to take him out to see the car and containers.  I pointed out the leak and explained it was not our responsibility.  I also pointed out that we were charging the owner significant money each day until he got the car unloaded.  

I took him back to the Chicago Loop and he somehow dealt with the situation.  The car was unloaded and put back in to revenue service.  I don't know what happened with the tequila.

"By many measures, the U.S. freight rail system is the safest, most efficient and cost effective in the world." - Federal Railroad Administration, October, 2009. I'm just your average, everyday, uncivilized howling "anti-government" critic of mass government expenditures for "High Speed Rail" in the US. And I'm gosh darn proud of that.
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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Thursday, April 4, 2019 9:10 AM

Hazmat liquids (i.e. chemicals, alcohol), denatured alcohol, non-denatured alcohol as Greyhounds stated above seems to be the most common shipped in tanktainers.

Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Posted by MALCOLM CLEAVELAND on Monday, April 8, 2019 8:26 PM

Unfortunately, the US no longer has the capability (or finances) to build significant infrastructure. We are mired in analysis paralysis.  Offut AFB was flooded because their levees needed to be repaired.  It took the Corps of Engineers SIX YEARS to study the problem and issue a permit.  Too late!  Meanwhile, China and Europe have 1000s of miles of high speed rail, and we have not one single mile.  The NE corridor runs on 19th century infrastructure.  Europe has eliminated all short haul and most medium haul flights because the high speed rail is much more efficient and pleasant to use (if you're a midget, you might be comfortable on a US flight). 

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Posted by RAY HEROLD on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 8:04 AM

They are typically called "Bulktainers". Usually carrying chemicals.

 

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Posted by Gotrans on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 8:41 AM
I believe they also carry liquid food products such as corn syrup, vegetable/olive oil as long as they meet hygienic standards.
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Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 6:47 PM

MALCOLM CLEAVELAND

Unfortunately, the US no longer has the capability (or finances) to build significant infrastructure. We are mired in analysis paralysis.  Offut AFB was flooded because their levees needed to be repaired.  It took the Corps of Engineers SIX YEARS to study the problem and issue a permit.  Too late!  Meanwhile, China and Europe have 1000s of miles of high speed rail, and we have not one single mile.  The NE corridor runs on 19th century infrastructure.  Europe has eliminated all short haul and most medium haul flights because the high speed rail is much more efficient and pleasant to use (if you're a midget, you might be comfortable on a US flight). 

 

Most major European cities are seperated by less than 400 miles from another one.  Here in the USA it is over 3000 miles from LA to NYC or 1000 to Chicago from NYC the distances involved alone preculde a HSR network from working here in the USA.  Paris is closer to London than St Louis is to Chicago on a mileage basis.  Denver is 1000 miles from Chicago.  Texas alone is over 800 miles across on the southern side of the state.  

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 7:34 PM

Shadow the Cats owner

 

 
MALCOLM CLEAVELAND

Unfortunately, the US no longer has the capability (or finances) to build significant infrastructure. We are mired in analysis paralysis.  Offut AFB was flooded because their levees needed to be repaired.  It took the Corps of Engineers SIX YEARS to study the problem and issue a permit.  Too late!  Meanwhile, China and Europe have 1000s of miles of high speed rail, and we have not one single mile.  The NE corridor runs on 19th century infrastructure.  Europe has eliminated all short haul and most medium haul flights because the high speed rail is much more efficient and pleasant to use (if you're a midget, you might be comfortable on a US flight). 

 

 

 

Most major European cities are seperated by less than 400 miles from another one.  Here in the USA it is over 3000 miles from LA to NYC or 1000 to Chicago from NYC the distances involved alone preculde a HSR network from working here in the USA.  Paris is closer to London than St Louis is to Chicago on a mileage basis.  Denver is 1000 miles from Chicago.  Texas alone is over 800 miles across on the southern side of the state.  

 There are many city pairs and

Not true. 

There are many rail routes in Europe and the UK of 300-500 miles.

There are many VHSR routes in China that are over 500 miles.

There are many city pairs in the US where HSR would be very competitive.

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Posted by MikeInPlano on Thursday, April 11, 2019 8:40 AM
Constructiong HSR in the U. S. has to factor in the very high up-front costs of endless environmental impact studies, fighting the NIMBY's for right of way (witness the current private venture in Texas) and other bureaucratic costs before constructing the first mile of track, let alone carrying revenue passengers. And low cost point to point airlines such as Southwest make it hard to compete over high traffic routes.
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Posted by NittanyLion on Sunday, April 14, 2019 10:34 PM

MALCOLM CLEAVELAND

Europe has eliminated all short haul and most medium haul flights because the high speed rail is much more efficient and pleasant to use (if you're a midget, you might be comfortable on a US flight). 

 

Several airlines would be surprised to find out they're flying non-existent flights!  Like this Alitalia flight from Rome to Naples https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AZA1267/history/20190414/1953Z/LIRF/LIRN of just 186 miles.

Also, my experiences with Italian railroads were fare less efficient and more unpleasant than any American airline, or even some commuter services in the US.  And the EU uses the same airplanes we do, with the same sardine-packing and everything.

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Posted by JoeBlow on Monday, April 15, 2019 6:16 PM

Like some of the other posters say, these are used to haul bulk liquids used in many different applications. Brewers from overseas use these to ship beer concentrate into the United States. Sapporo and Heineken are good examples. American brewers also use them to ship out the US. 

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