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  • Suburban Propane Gets Delivery?

  • Discussion about the M&E, RVRR and SIRR lines of New Jersey, and also the Maine Eastern operation in Maine. Official web site can be found here: www.merail.com.
Discussion about the M&E, RVRR and SIRR lines of New Jersey, and also the Maine Eastern operation in Maine. Official web site can be found here: www.merail.com.

Moderators: GOLDEN-ARM, cjl330, mikec

 #339800  by roachcoach1186
 
While driving East on Route 10, I noticed #18 hauling 3 tank cars heading east. It pulled into the siding behind Black Brook Park in Whippany. It dropped off the 3 cars behind the Suburban Propane Building, and then headed back west towards Morristown.

Driving by the Suburban propane, I also noticed they moved the Amtrack Luggage cars on the siding as well.

Not sure if you store Propane in tank car. Probably isnt safe.
 #339815  by blockline4180
 
roachcoach1186 wrote:While driving East on Route 10, I noticed #18 hauling 3 tanker cars heading east. It pulled into the siding behind Black Brook Park in Whippany. It dropped off the 3 cars behind the Suburban Propane Building, and then headed back west towards Morristown.

Driving by the Suburban propane, I also noticed they moved the Amtrack Luggage cars on the siding as well.

Not sure if you store Propane in tanker car. Probably isnt safe.

As far as I know this is the first shipment to Suburban Propane this season...And yes, they usually get black tank cars of propane. It is a seasonal operation usually lasting from November to March.

 #340058  by joe k
 
Winter means more volume of product (and higher prices).......buying in bulk at the time would allow for storage of extra product and save a few dollars with rail cars.
Summer LP Gas is directed to gas grill tank refills and homes that use LP for kitchen appliances...... so the yard stationary LP storage tanks might be enough to keep them in operation during the warmer months?
The Suburban spur was rebuilt by the M&E about 5 years ago.....most of the rail near Rt.10 looked to be 60 -80 lb until the upgrade with new ties, ballast & 100 lb + rail.

 #340622  by baretables
 
Isn't the Suburban siding only used for storage and to allow the crew to get around their train of tank cars for the shove to what used to be Royal Lubricants and Polaner ? Perhaps the tank cars seen were for these consignees.

 #340717  by RS115
 
No, as stated above Suburban does get shipments during the winter months. The siding is also used for storage - sometime during shipping season another home is found for whatever is there otherwise they just move it around. Not sure what's on the lead now - it was the home of the FL-9's for awhile but I think they're on the old Vornado lead now.
A

 #344221  by baretables
 
As of 1-6-07, the siding was full, nearly to the end of track, with ex-Amtrak bags.

 #344381  by Ken W2KB
 
joe k wrote:Winter means more volume of product (and higher prices).......buying in bulk at the time would allow for storage of extra product and save a few dollars with rail cars.
Summer LP Gas is directed to gas grill tank refills and homes that use LP for kitchen appliances...... so the yard stationary LP storage tanks might be enough to keep them in operation during the warmer months?
The Suburban spur was rebuilt by the M&E about 5 years ago.....most of the rail near Rt.10 looked to be 60 -80 lb until the upgrade with new ties, ballast & 100 lb + rail.
As an educated guess, I would expect that around 80-90 percent of annual propane sales take place in the winter months, driven by house heating.

 #346560  by roachcoach1186
 
1/10/07

The siding still has amtrack baggage cars in, no propane tankers

 #346559  by roachcoach1186
 
1/10/07

The siding still has amtrack baggage cars in, no propane tankers
 #348444  by washingtonsecondary
 
roachcoach1186 wrote: Not sure if you store Propane in tanker car. Probably isnt safe.
Uhh Mr. Railroad operations, what form of transportation would you store propane in? Box cars? Tanker trucks are smaller versions of tanker rail cars, and there are lots of those.

 #348675  by joe k
 
bleve:

boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion


is that correct mr. trainlawyer?[/b][/i]
 #348751  by Pull Man
 
At this time, Suburban Propane on Route 10 is not receiving LPG shipments by rail. Whether they resume rail shipments will depend on the LPG retail market. With the unusually warm winter and natural gas distribution systems supplying traditional LPG markets, it is unlikely the retail propane market will grow in the region.

It should be noted that LPG railcars, tank trucks, stationary tanks and fixed storage facilities are heavily regulated by the National Fire Protection Association and are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and flame impingement for extended periods of time. Normal firefighting operations which include hose streams, unmanned master streams and fixed deluge systems will adequately suppress accidental fires and protect vessels from extroadinary failure and BLEVE. Any Incident Commander who releases (or orders the release of) the brakes on an LPG tank car, without the permission of and assistance from the serving railroad, should be terminated.
 #348825  by Ken W2KB
 
Pull Man wrote:At this time, Suburban Propane on Route 10 is not receiving LPG shipments by rail. Whether they resume rail shipments will depend on the LPG retail market. With the unusually warm winter and natural gas distribution systems supplying traditional LPG markets, it is unlikely the retail propane market will grow in the region.

It should be noted that LPG railcars, tank trucks, stationary tanks and fixed storage facilities are heavily regulated by the National Fire Protection Association and are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and flame impingement for extended periods of time. Normal firefighting operations which include hose streams, unmanned master streams and fixed deluge systems will adequately suppress accidental fires and protect vessels from extroadinary failure and BLEVE. Any Incident Commander who releases (or orders the release of) the brakes on an LPG tank car, without the permission of and assistance from the serving railroad, should be terminated.
Not to mention that if the radiant heat is such that the liquefied petroleum gas tank car is that much at risk for BLEVE, the firefigher sent to release the brakes could be placed in unreasonable risk of harm from exposure to the heat. Airport firefighters have the training, personal protective equipment and pathfinder trucks to enter extreme heat, but most regular fire departments would not have any of these three protections.