• North Dakota Bakken Crude Oil

  • For topics on Class I and II passenger and freight operations more general in nature and not specifically related to a specific railroad with its own forum.
For topics on Class I and II passenger and freight operations more general in nature and not specifically related to a specific railroad with its own forum.

Moderator: Jeff Smith

  by gokeefe
 
Steel wheels on steel rails ...
  by JayBee
 
The upcoming imposition by the IMO(International Maritime Organization) of a limit of 0.5% sulfur on Marine fuels will have a negative impact on crude oil from Venezuela, and a lesser impact on other Oil Producing countries. Not many non-US refineries are capable of turning high-sulfur Crude Oil(Sour) into ULSD(Ultr-low Sulfur Diesel), and even for the ones that can process it you still need to dispose of the high-sulfur residue. For the US refineries this is expected to be into more and cheaper Asphalt, leading to the displacement of concrete for the building and renewal of highways.
  by gokeefe
 
Very interesting. I never would have guessed this would affect the price of asphalt.
  by Gilbert B Norman
 
NBC Chicago news aired an "encouraging" report regarding a derailment yesterday on CSX at East Chicago, IN:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigatio ... l/2227787/

As noted within the report, the Bakken Crude was being handled in newly built DOT-117 cars. There was no spillage of the crude nor fire - and no injuries!

Maybe railroads can now "get back in the game".
  by gokeefe
 
Further evidence that tank car specifications (and not the crude itself) were the problem all along.

I agree with you Mr. Norman that the lower impact of this incident is significant to potential gains in market share for rail mode.
  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Since, I posted this report, video of the segment has been added - possibly worth a revisit from those who read the material.

While I must wonder if these newer DOT-117 cars could have avoided Megantic, I trust that the seven Class I's are not operating in as reckless a manner as was the MMA-Q. I realize that a "sales pitch" of "let me show you the wreck we just had" is not the greatest, but if in fact the new cars saved the day (and not simply because a TV News reporter and a Chessie "spinfraumeister" say so), railroad Marketing should be shouting that from the rooftops - well, at least to the shippers and legislators.
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