Tanktainers: capacity, usage and operation questions

[Titan]

Believe it or not the original Triang BP chemicals containers were not fictitious:

 

 

Does anyone have a picture of them on a railway wagon though?

[ColinK]

I can't recall ever having seen 3x tanks on a single flat but I have kept an eye out for it (cue picture to prove otherwise). I have seen plenty of 2x tanks on outer mounting positions over the bogies and the middle left empty or a conventional dry 20ft container between them.

 

In fact, I can probably count on 1 hand how many pictures I've seen with tanktainers in the middle position of a 60ft flat due to their weight when loaded, but on more than 1 occasion I've seen them loaded singly in the centre of FLA flats.

 

Just outside the standard 20ft; these are one of my favorites! http://www.tankcontainermedia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TCM-Fosters-500x375.jpg

Yesterday’s Seaforth to Mossend intermodal train had several (probably four) flat wagons all with three tanktainers on. Presumably they were empty. I could have taken a photo for you had you posted earlier!

I can't recall ever having seen 3x tanks on a single flat but I have kept an eye out for it (cue picture to prove otherwise). I have seen plenty of 2x tanks on outer mounting positions over the bogies and the middle left empty or a conventional dry 20ft container between them.

 

In fact, I can probably count on 1 hand how many pictures I've seen with tanktainers in the middle position of a 60ft flat due to their weight when loaded, but on more than 1 occasion I've seen them loaded singly in the centre of FLA flats.

 

Just outside the standard 20ft; these are one of my favorites! http://www.tankcontainermedia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TCM-Fosters-500x375.jpg

Yesterday’s Seaforth to Mossend intermodal train had several (probably four) flat wagons all with three tanktainers on. Presumably they were empty. I could have taken a photo for you had you posted earlier!

[West Junction]

 

Worth a note on that subject, when I was looking up weights last night the FCA and derivatives that EWS/DBS uses have a higher capacity, though still a fair way short of a nominal 30t x 3.

 

 

FCA wagons were a problem on class 4's if the load was to heavy and the speed was dropped to 60 mph. NR weren't impressed about reclassifying as the timings went out the window.

 

Hence they were used on block class 6 and MoD contract workings, or modified to FYA for the class 4's.

[Fat Controller]

Believe it or not the original Triang BP chemicals containers were not fictitious:

 

 

Does anyone have a picture of them on a railway wagon though?

Not carrying BP colours.

[Gibbo675]

On 27/07/2018 at 13:47, Fat Controller said:

Not carrying BP colours.

Hi Brian,

 

If when on trains the above type of tank was not carrying BP colours then what colours were they painted in, and also would you have any photgraphic links to them ?

 

Gibbo.

[duncan]

The volume / weight of an ethanol tank will vary, depending on the concentration of alcohol in solution.  Edible industrial alcohol (gin & vodka) might be as high as 90%, cask strength whisky 56% & blended whisky going to a bottling plant 40%.

[PatB]

Random tanktainer story, not really relevant to the OP but illustrative nonetheless. 20+ years ago, when I did a lot of mileage around the WA Goldfields, much of it on gravel roads, I once came across the immediate aftermath of a truck accident in between Wiluna and Meekathara. A dog trailer (front and rear axle groups, fore group steered) carrying a tanktainer had become detached from a roadtrain and rolled over. Presumably it had been going quite fast, as the tanktainer, with trailer now on top, had slid far enough to build up a gravel bow wave to ~half its height. What impressed me was that, although the perimeter frame was a bit battered, the tank itself remained completely tight. Good, because it was filled with acid, sulphuric as I recall, although it could have been hydrochloric. Either is possible. Certainly not something you want a few thousand gallons of sloshing around loose.

[cheesysmith]

Was up at Wakefield on Sunday, and a 66 came through on some FCA (looking at realtime trains could only have been the Milford sidings to appleford sidings train) loaded with 2x30ft tankers per wagon. But too wet for a photo though.