DuPont trainset at Waterville

why is the "DuPont" tank car boxcar and caboose in waterville?

tank car
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 424600.jpg
boxcar
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 124402.jpg
caboose
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 524234.jpg
whole train
http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?pho ... 324094.jpg

Answer?

A quick Google search for "TRANSCAER" (which is painted on all of the cars in addition to the DuPont logo) reveals the web site http://www.transcaer.org/ which has the following to say:

TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) is a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities prepare for and respond to a possible hazardous material transportation incident.

and

Norfolk Southern and E. I. DuPont will be teaming up to present training at a number of locations during 2008. This training is intended to assist emergency response personnel in responding to a railroad emergency.

The DuPont train is there for Fire Department and HAZMAT team training. I belong to a local volunteer fire department in this part of Maine and had the opportunity to go. Couldn't make it work with the schedule.

gokeefe

Several companies have these tank car trainers: BASF, GATX, and Dow come to mind. You'll notice that there are quite a few "domes" (technically protective housings) on top of the cars. They illustrate the typical valve arrangements that you would encounter on cars assigned to haul chlorine, propane, muriatic acid, ethylene oxide, etc... I don't think this car has it, but a few have doors to permit entrance to the tank interior, so that you can see all the fittings, etc. within. The converted reefer houses is a classroom... GATX's is painted to look like a schoolhouse, complete with painted-on windows and clapboarding - first class! If you go to google images and search for "GATX tank trainer," it pops right up.