Freight Cars

Holban Yard GATX tank car #98222 July, 1971 Photo: Art Huneke

What type of car, load and consignee would have utilized this rare load? The GATX site is vague on this car type = pressurized. Thanks!

It appears to be riding on three axle (six wheel) trucks, which suggest a capacity for carrying a very heavy load.

Is there a hazmat ID number on the diamond-shaped placard above the right truck? If so, zooming in to that could provide a clue...

According to this site it was a "RailWhale" (i.e. really large capacity) tank car, one of 39 similar tank cars.

A listing for cars 98200-98238 first appeared in the JUL 1967 issue with a capacity of 300,000 pounds and no quantity shown, and this continued through the next two issues (OCT 1967 and JAN 1968); then, in APR 1968, the quantity was 21

.

Hey, if this is a match, the OP can submit the image for inclusion in that page's photo table (the site is not updated that frequently).

Maybe jet fuel for Grumman out in Calverton, or Republic in Farmingdale?

Sir Ray wrote:According to this site it was a "RailWhale" (i.e. really large capacity) tank car, one of 39 similar tank cars.

A listing for cars 98200-98238 first appeared in the JUL 1967 issue with a capacity of 300,000 pounds and no quantity shown, and this continued through the next two issues (OCT 1967 and JAN 1968); then, in APR 1968, the quantity was 21

.

Hey, if this is a match, the OP can submit the image for inclusion in that page's photo table (the site is not updated that frequently).

Thank you. I'm running this down with owner of the site! Will update as I can.

Via Sir Ray's suggestion: Michael M. Palmieri (the Whale site owner) indicated as follows:
Mike wrote: "...Thanks for the photo, as this confirms that those two series of GATX tank cars were very similar, if not identical, although your car has ASF trucks instead of Buckeyes..."

"...Would anyone on Long Island have used vinyl chloride?..."

Folks: Was this perhaps:
1. Used to clean up a toxic waste dump as its byproduct? It's a 1971 photo, perhaps a clue?
2. A Grumman or Republic Aircraft need? (As suggested)
3. Used in plastic/PVC manufacturing? (Opinion: Not likely, as this car is unique from a photo spotting criteria...)
4. Other?

Additional information:

As the car has Vinyl chloride stored as a liquid, tank cars used for handling vinyl chloride at atmospheric temperature are always under pressure, as the outer layer has nitrogen gas under pressure to contain the inner tank of VC.

As a Hazmat 6 and thus what might the placard in the photo might be? I requested additional info from Mike's website.

With a capacity of 300,000 pounds (load, or load plus tare weight), I wonder if there were any restrictions on this car's travels on the LIRR?

I remember reading a DOD STRACNET study (prepared by MTMC circa 1980s or early 1990s) that identified a national rail network of track that met certain clearance requirements and could handle loaded equipment weighing 286,000 pounds. It left me with the impression that there were many track routes that were not designed to safely handle weights over 286,000 pounds.

For the fun of it, here Tyco's Whale tanker from the 1970's.

C-LINER 2001 wrote:For the fun of it, here Tyco's Whale tanker from the 1970's.

Yup, take some pass 3 axle trucks and "slap em" under another car! The model makers are doing this nonsense today; especially in the 3 rail/Lionel car game.

Hmm, these Tyco loads are "too light" for this car capacity as vinyl chloride demands. Any Chemists that can indicate this? And back to the original question: Why this car/load siting in Holban?

Well, I'm not a chemist (but I play one on TV). However one of the uses of vinyl chloride is in cable/wire insulation. Could this have been used by Cerro Wire?

AlKaLI wrote:Well, I'm not a chemist (but I play one on TV). However one of the uses of vinyl chloride is in cable/wire insulation. Could this have been used by Cerro Wire?

Interesting... it's just a rare car spotting; sort of a one load/one time situation?

Jet fuel for Republic or Grumman, I say....

Teutobergerwald wrote:Jet fuel for Republic or Grumman, I say....

Wouldn't jet fuel come in more "traditional" tank cars, or trucked in via tanker? This is such a unique car and these "whalecars" were pressurized for vinyl chloride.

Jet fuel does not need to be kept cold,it is moved in regular tank cars,like diesel fuel,heating oil,and gasoline is handled.
This had to be a move to Grumman or the Brookhaven National lab during the time the LEM was manufactured on the island.