(32) 04 Tank Car Unloading mp4 - YouTube
Gives an appreciation of what is involved in safe handling at a facility. Imagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright.
MidlandMikeImagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright.
Or in proximity to a tank with entirely different concerns...
Overmod There are now privately owned firms who specialize with clearing derailments and other accidents. The name Herzog comes to mind. MidlandMike Imagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright. Or leaking. Or in proximity to a tank with entirely different concerns...
There are now privately owned firms who specialize with clearing derailments and other accidents. The name Herzog comes to mind.
MidlandMike Imagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright.
Or leaking.
OvermodMidlandMike Imagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright. Or leaking. Or in proximity to a tank with entirely different concerns...
diningcarThere are now privately owned firms who specialize with clearing derailments and other accidents. The name Herzog comes to mind.
Herzog is more of a track maintenance and construction contractor. Popularly they roster a lot of ballast cars etc. They might fix up the track after a wreck, but not sure they necessarily get involved in the actual cleanup part.
Hulcher is a wreck contractor that's popular locally, not sure how widespread they are. In a large incident they'll bring in the side-boom caterpillars etc. for cleaning up wrecked cars.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
There are spill/environmental clean-up companies that have the skills and equipment to deal with the contents of the cars and the spillage.
I think most of them are more regional than anything else, so name recognition will be slight.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
cv_acr diningcar There are now privately owned firms who specialize with clearing derailments and other accidents. The name Herzog comes to mind. Herzog is more of a track maintenance and construction contractor. Popularly they roster a lot of ballast cars etc. They might fix up the track after a wreck, but not sure they necessarily get involved in the actual cleanup part. Hulcher is a wreck contractor that's popular locally, not sure how widespread they are. In a large incident they'll bring in the side-boom caterpillars etc. for cleaning up wrecked cars.
diningcar There are now privately owned firms who specialize with clearing derailments and other accidents. The name Herzog comes to mind.
Hulcher has been 'the name' in contractor wreck clearance for approaching 50 years. Within the span of about 6 months I had the opportunity to be working with both forms of wreck clearance - the traditional railroad owned and operated wreck train with a heavy lift crane and multiple car department employees - and Hulcher with their A frame equipped and counterweighted bulldozers and their own employees.
Both take about the same time to arrive on scene. The wreck train can only attack the derailment from on direction, it takes 15 to 30 minutes to get the wreck crane blocked and braced once it is in position to make a lift or pull, and a similar amount of time each time the crane is repositioned. Hulcher and their dozers can attack the derailment from multiple locations, singly or in multiples as is necessary for each lift or move and the dozers can operate without the need for manually set blocking. The dozers have manuverability all around the wreck site as the situation requires. Wreck Trains can only attack the wreck site from the rail that has sufficient stability to support the werck crane(s) - most major derailments have two wreck trains called so as to attack the scene from both ends.
The carriers start paying the off track contractor from the time they are notified and stop paying when the equipment arrives back at their base. The contractors are just another bill to be paid. Wreck trains are equipment that must be maintained to remain in operation, the staff of the wreck train are all company employees that are full time employees with all the expense of fringe benefits that that incurs as well as those employees most likely being paid at the overtime rate for all the time they are involved with the wreck train.
In my experience the contractors handled the situation in about 1/3 the time of the wreck train without the continuing expense of having wreck train employees on the payroll.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It's always been joked about that it's $10,000 just for Hulcher to answer the phone.
Maybe that's why lately I've been seeing a new company called "Mainline" doing some of our clean up jobs.
Jeff
Mainline did the cleanup at Santa Fe Junction high line back in 2020
It's like the old joke about paying $100 for a 5 minute visit to the doctor. You are paying for years of medical school. In the case of wreck cleanup companies, you are paying for them having the trained personnel, specialized equipment and years of expertise ready to go at Oh Dark Thirty - people they have to pay and equipment whose mortage they have to pay for whether they are activly working or sitting awaiting your call.
jeffhergertIt's always been joked about that it's $10,000 just for Hulcher to answer the phone. Maybe that's why lately I've been seeing a new company called "Mainline" doing some of our clean up jobs. Jeff
My understanding is that Hulcher started out as a oil field roughneck concern in Southern Illinois. At some point in time they had some equipment setting around and not currently being used and was somehow was presented the opportunity to utilize clearing a derailment in their 'spare time'. Upon being compensated for their work they decided wreck clearance paid better than the oil fields. Obviously what I just stated is a vast simplification of the chain of events, but it is the progress of the speciality.
Hulcher can't be everywhere but they have spawned a number of similar firms all across the country. The bills when they come to the carriers are big, however, they are almost insignificant in comparison to what the carriers were investing in having wreck train equipment and manpower at numerous points around their systems.
BaltACDHulcher can't be everywhere but they have spawned a number of similar firms all across the country.
Had the opportunity to see one of the smaller firms in operation when they came in to Utica to replace a locked traction motor on a CSX loco.
They brought two sidewinders, and had them assembled and configured in no time. Clearly they are well practiced.
diningcar MidlandMike Imagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright. Or leaking. Or in proximity to a tank with entirely different concerns...
MidlandMike Imagine doing all this in unloading a tank car at a wreck site. Imagine the complications if the tank is not upright. Or leaking. Or in proximity to a tank with entirely different concerns...
I worked in the oil fields, and had to complete an annual hazmet course to maintain certification. The course went thru some transportation hazmet spill clean-up scenarios, so I have some appreciation of the difficult situations they are working under.
Make sure you're properly vented....
Already a short sighted fail before they even start unloading the car (PHMSA fail)...No spill span, no containment system, no insulated joints. DUMB.
Hope that outfit has updated their safety video since. Far too many industries are clueless on what their unloading responsibilities are (some really bad architects and engineers out there as well - they shouldn't be guessing, but still do.)
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