Liquified Natural Gas by rail

[bigboyboris]

I've read a few separate references to a short-lived traffic in liquified natural gas by cryogenic tanker under BR, at some point before there were pipelines in place to carry the output of the North Sea oil field. 

 

However, I'm not able to find any substantial information about it - such as when this traffic ran, the specifics of the wagons used and routes taken, what the terminals might have looked like and such. Does anyone know any books or webpages that might have more information? 

[Davexoc]

The only mention of liquified gas tanks in that sort of use that I can see in Paul Shannon's Railfreight series, is of LPG from the Wytch Farm oilfield in Dorset, running from Furzebrook to Hallen Marsh, 6V13 service.

[Fat Controller]

47 minutes ago, Davexoc said:

The only mention of liquified gas tanks in that sort of use that I can see in Paul Shannon's Railfreight series, is of LPG from the Wytch Farm oilfield in Dorset, running from Furzebrook to Hallen Marsh, 6V13 service.

There were 10 unfitted tanks built by BR (Diagram 1/306) in 1954 for transporting butane and propane. Unusually, they carried BR numbers, rather than private owner ones. The operator was Calor Transport, initially, then ESSO, and they seem to have chiefly worked in East Anglia. They were sold out-of service in 1967. Just before the wagons disappeared, the oil majors all seem to have introduced 'Monobloc'-style LPG tanks.

[bigboyboris]

There is a mention of LNG by rail on this page, but it is very light on details. I believe I've seen a brief mention of the traffic in another source, too, but I don't recall where and again it did not go into detail. 

[jim.snowdon]

Paul Bartlett's ever useful website contains several collections of what are described as LPG tank wagons -  https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/fueltankwagons

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, jim.snowdon said:

Paul Bartlett's ever useful website contains several collections of what are described as LPG tank wagons -  https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/fueltankwagons

 

But we're talking about LNG Jim!

 

Mike.

[HGR]

LNG and LPG are quite different products with very different challenges to transportation. Enterprisingwestern has just posted while I'm in the middle of typing this !

 

LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas covers propane, butane, and mixtures of varying proportions of these commonly used as 'bottled gas' for camping, cooking, heating, etc. They can be stored as a liquid either under pressure at normal air temperature or alternatively at minimal pressure by refrigeration to about -40 deg.C.

 

LNG - Liquefied Natural Gas is predominately methane, with small amounts of ethane and other gasses used to control the calorific value of the gas that ends up in the public gas pipeline network. At normal temperatures it can only reasonably exist in gaseous form. To store as a liquid it must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures. It is typically held at LNG terminals in enormous storage tanks that are very well insulated with the liquid at -160 deg.C. There is gas 'boil-off' from the liquid in the tank that has to be removed / used or re-liquefied in order to prevent pressure in the tank rising dangerously. Look up La Spezia rollover incident to see what I mean.

 

When LNG is transported by sea, the LNG is loaded cold but the tanks on board the ship gradually warm up as the ship is under way, so the boil-off gas is often used in the main engines for propulsion rather than being lost through venting.

 

VTG have been running trials in Germany for the last five or so years for inland transportation of LNG using special railtanks. Not aware of any UK application though as our LNG terminals feed the gas pipeline network directly.

 

 

[PerthBox]

23 hours ago, HGR said:

LNG and LPG are quite different products with very different challenges to transportation. Enterprisingwestern has just posted while I'm in the middle of typing this !

 

LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas covers propane, butane, and mixtures of varying proportions of these commonly used as 'bottled gas' for camping, cooking, heating, etc. They can be stored as a liquid either under pressure at normal air temperature or alternatively at minimal pressure by refrigeration to about -40 deg.C.

 

LNG - Liquefied Natural Gas is predominately methane, with small amounts of ethane and other gasses used to control the calorific value of the gas that ends up in the public gas pipeline network. At normal temperatures it can only reasonably exist in gaseous form. To store as a liquid it must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures. It is typically held at LNG terminals in enormous storage tanks that are very well insulated with the liquid at -160 deg.C. There is gas 'boil-off' from the liquid in the tank that has to be removed / used or re-liquefied in order to prevent pressure in the tank rising dangerously. Look up La Spezia rollover incident to see what I mean.

 

When LNG is transported by sea, the LNG is loaded cold but the tanks on board the ship gradually warm up as the ship is under way, so the boil-off gas is often used in the main engines for propulsion rather than being lost through venting.

 

VTG have been running trials in Germany for the last five or so years for inland transportation of LNG using special railtanks. Not aware of any UK application though as our LNG terminals feed the gas pipeline network directly.

 

 

LNG returned to rail in Scotland a couple of years ago, supplying Wick and Thurso which are isolated from the gas National Transmission System. It is conveyed in tanktainers on 4H47 0504 Mossend - Inverness then north by road to be injected into the local Scottish Gas Networks gas grid. The empty tanktainers return on 4D47 1310 Inverness - Mossend. Here’s a photo (not taken by me):

 

[2251]

It is a bit more complex than that.

 

Stornoway, Campbeltown, Oban, Thurso, and Wick all used to be supplied with town gas. When North Sea gas was introduced, they were too remote to be supplied by pipeline and are supplied with bulk LNG which is injected into the local networks. I am not sure of the date when the local gasworks closed, but would hazard a guess at the early 1970s.

 

For many years, they were supplied with LNG from Avonmouth.

 

The current arrangement is that they are supplied from the Isle of Grain. I believe that the loaded specialised tankers are taken by road transport to Daventry, and from there to Coatbridge and Inverness, where they go back to road transport (and ferry in the case of Stornoway) -- and obviously the discharged tanks do the reverse journey.

[PerthBox]

1 hour ago, 2251 said:

It is a bit more complex than that.

 

Stornoway, Campbeltown, Oban, Thurso, and Wick all used to be supplied with town gas. When North Sea gas was introduced, they were too remote to be supplied by pipeline and are supplied with bulk LNG which is injected into the local networks. I am not sure of the date when the local gasworks closed, but would hazard a guess at the early 1970s.

 

For many years, they were supplied with LNG from Avonmouth.

 

The current arrangement is that they are supplied from the Isle of Grain. I believe that the loaded specialised tankers are taken by road transport to Daventry, and from there to Coatbridge and Inverness, where they go back to road transport (and ferry in the case of Stornoway) -- and obviously the discharged tanks do the reverse journey.

That’s very interesting - thanks for filling in the missing details. Information is scarce online so I could only report my own observations. The tanktainers on 4H47/4D47 are a relatively recent development so presumably the traffic ex Avonmouth went by sea or road all the way.

[2251]

It is an interesting set-up.

 

At Campbletown (where, thinking about it, the ferry may also be involved) the old gasworks is used to unload the tankers and store gas; whereas at Thurso there is a purpose-built operation at Janetstown (there is nothing left of the old gasworks in town).

 

[HGR]

There was a liquefaction plant at the LNG terminal at Glenmavis - this was the nearest to the Scottish Independent Undertakings as they are termed. There were other plants at Partington, Avonmouth, Aberdare etc. that could also supply via road tankers. The plant at Glenmavis 'packed up' around 2010, and the other sites were either in the process of closing or scheduled to go by 2018 (or before). Avonmouth was converted to store LPG instead of LNG. That now leaves Isle of Grain as one of the remaining places with liquefaction facilities and reasonable transport links.

 

Despite the LNG terminals in South West Wales being built on sites formerly oil refineries which had extensive rail loading sidings and connection to the B.R. network, these sites in their new role receive LNG by ship and export the gas into the pipeline network.

 

[LNERGE]

Another process here?..

 

https://fredstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/Hitchin-Steam-Reformer-Site-for-fredstarr.com-converted.pdf

[Ken.W]

On 27/04/2022 at 18:31, PerthBox said:

 

 

I found that photo rather amusing, a container proclaiming "LESS CO2"....

 

Next to one full of LNG

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Ken.W

[w124bob]

When I was at Manchester Victoria we had a Stanlow to Immingham job we worked from Vic as far as Wakefield, waited a few hours then did the return. We always referred to it as the gas tanks but I think now it was probably LPG. 

[APOLLO]

Partington LNG storage terminal 25175 leaves the North West Gas Board sidings at Partington on 2nd October 1985. This was an extremely rare working at that time.

 

From this site. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90285366@N05/with/8533710553/

 

 

Being a retired lifelong gas engineer I never worked or had anything to do with LNG, storage etc. I can tell you this plant was new in the mid 70's and was closed and demolished several years ago as life expired and too expensive to replace.

 

I'm unsure what the rail traffic was here, LNG or "other" (boil off ?) gases. Inbound or outbound I do not know. Scarce info on the net also.

 

This is a very interesting article re Partington LNG.

 

http://www.oldflames.org.uk/Partington.pdf

 

Brit15