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Are Oil Trains Just Too Heavy? No Regulations, No Weigh To Know


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 10 July 2016 - 08:53 PM

DeSMOG blog, 7/7:
 

Are Oil Trains Just Too Heavy? No Regulations, No Weigh To Know

 

The cause of the most recent bomb train derailment and fire in Mosier, OR has been determined to be lag bolts that had sheared off resulting in the derailment. This once again raises concerns that the unit trains of oil are putting too much stress on the tracks due to their excessive weight and length. 

 

There is precedent for this issue according to rail consultant and former industry official Steven Ditmeyer. In the early 1990s, there was a similar problem with some double stacked container cars being too heavy for the

infrastructure — because of overloaded containers — resulting in sheared rail spikes.

 

This sounds like a very similar circumstance to what was happening in the early 1990s with overloaded double stack container cars,” Ditmeyer told DeSmog.

 

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#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 20 September 2016 - 10:48 AM

DeSMOG blog, 9/19:
 

Overloaded: New Rules Allowed for Heavier Bakken Oil Trains

 

This is the third article in a series looking at why oil trains derail at higher rates than ethanol trains. More ethanol was moved by rail from 2010–2015 than oil, but oil trains derail at a higher rate and with more severe consequences. Part one addressed train length as a factor and part two addressed “sloshing.” 

 

On January 25, 2011, a notice appeared in the Federal Register announcing a change in the rules on allowable weight for a rail tank car transporting hazardous materials. It declared the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) approval to increase this weight limit, bumping it up to 286,000 pounds gross rail load (GRL) from the previous limit of 263,000 pounds.

 

Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but this rule change was well-timed for the Bakken oil-by-rail boom that was taking off at that point. Regardless, it had immediate impacts on the ability of the industry to move oil in long unit trains with cars that were heavier than previously allowed. 

 

Prior to 2011, the largest volume of hazardous materials being moved by rail was ethanol and most of that was in tank cars with a gross rail load of 263,000 pounds, meaning the weight of the tank car plus the weight of the contents could not exceed this amount. However, this rule change allowed for crude oil to move tank cars with heavier loads, and the industry took advantage of that.

 

Continue here.

 

Federal Register, 1/25/2011:  Operating Certain Railroad Tank Cars in Excess of 263,000 Pounds Gross Rail Load; Approval






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