Capacity (gal.)  Car Type             Sample Commodities

14,500           GS, Acid             Phosphoric Acid

20,000           Exterior Coiled      Fuel Oil, Crude Oil

26,000           Coiled, Non-Coiled   Various chemicals

30,000           Non-Coiled           Gasoline

33,500           High Pressure        LPG

* Single-point loading and unloading boosts safety level and lowers costs
* Faster loading and unloading rates decrease turnaround time
* Interconnected railcars mean more effective vapor collection and reduced chance of spillage

The TankTrain System was first tested by the Alaska Railroad. In 19?? the ARR purchased two sets of three that were linked together. They didn't stay that way though and eventually wound up as individual cars. Some ARR crew members felt they were more bother than they were worth. The cars had to be kept turned in a certain direction which wasn't always operationally easy. If one car was Bad Ordered then the whole string had to go in the shop. The ARR ceased using them in 19?? and they were all shipped to the lower 48. A much updated version of the TankTrain was later fielded for the Southern Pacific "Oilcan" that went from central California, over Techachapi Pass, to Los Angeles. Later, the run went from Mojave to L.A., but was eventually retired in 1997.
 

Note: On 4/9/99 Eric Dillinger informed me, "Here is what is currently going on with the Tank Train. In 1996 Unocal built a terminal in Mojave. One train of 72 cars originates here each day. They go to the Unocal (now Tosco) oil refinery in Carson, CA. However, in December 1998, I was there. The Tank Train cars were at the loading facility with some back up cars in the Mojave Yard. The tankcars now carry placards, 1267 -- for crude oil. Incidentally, not only are the Tank Train cars still active, there are more now. In 1996, Mobil Oil began shipping crude oil from San Ardo on Southern Pacific's (I still call it SP) Coast Line to the Mobil oil refinery in Torrence, although it is unloaded in Carson and travels by pipeline the rest of the way. The last I heard this was a tri-weekly train of 72 cars each."

Subject: Bad news for tank train
Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 13:28:39 -0700
From: Eric A Dillinger
To: John's Alaska Railroad Web Site

According to the Bakersfield Californian, Tosco will stop sending crude oil to its Wilmington/Carson refinery by train. The Mojave terminal will be mothballed unless another company wants to buy it. The address of the article is http://www.bakersfield.com/oil/i--1284459106.asp. As far as I know, Mobil is still using the oil cans (tank train). I have never seen anything on Mobil's web site about the oil cans. So far Tosco does not have anything in its web site about them stopping the use of the oil cans.
 

Thanks to Eric Dillinger for providing me this information!