Does anyone have any information on trains being used to transport explosives ? I am thinking in particular of mine/quarry narrow gauge trains where the explosives and detonators would be transported to the mine in specialised wagons.
I have seen something before which looked like a locker on wheels which was heavily protected and padlocked.
All help welcome.
BTW I forgot to thank those who replied to my previous request for information on cab and backhead details. Belated thanks.
Paul
I've seen milidtary artillery and naval cannon ammunition arrive quite often. It comes in regular boxcars as far as I can tell.
Gene
This is an explosive subject. I'm sure many will get a "bang" out of it.
Lionel made the "exploding boxcar" when it started with its military theme. Fortunately, for the price, you could blow it up over and over.
Here's another question. Would a model of a car designed to carry explosives come with and exploded parts diagram?
ASIANLIFE,
As Gene stated, exposives and even military ammunition, at least in years past was simply transported in regular box cars.
It works like this, if no one knows what it is in it, there is very little risk of theft or tampering. If you use some "special" car, its like posting a sign saying "steal me".
Dispite what you see movies, most exposives and ammunition are not that dangerous until they are "set up" for their intended use.
Example - you can put a bullet in your oven and heat it up, it will discaharge, but not with enough force to exit the oven. But if you put the loaded gun in the oven and heat it up the bullet will go right through.
Secrecy, not security is the order of the day.
Sheldon
To augment what Sheldon said, years ago in Korea a young private started filling the gas tank of a 10 ton ammo truck loaded with 8" howitzer ammo. While it's hard to believe, the guy checked how full the gas tank was using his Zippo lighter. The ammo cooked off and the light show was fantastic - this happened at night, but nobody was killed, not even the guy who caused the fuel fire, though I imagine he beat feet!
Gene
Standard boxcars are used with HazMat sign "Explosive A", "Explosive B" or "Explosive C". The Railbox boxcar are commonly used.
Standard orange DOT signs are used (12 by 12).
Dr EMD,
Yes that is true today, but years ago (before the nanny state) they just loaded them up and sent them on their way.
Sheldon
We used a long sign (6 inches x 24 inches) before changing them to the DOT.
IYAAYAS! :D
I've got a picture of a Civil War era NC&STL steel car. Seems the rest of the cars were made of wood. Found sitting in a yard as late as 1900. The design must have worked, keeping sparks from the engine from starting a fire. I'm not sure when the RR's converted to coal from wood fuel.
I suspect that several cars ahead of the caboose and several cars behind the locomotive would be in order for a car load of explosives.
Newington Armory, on Sydney Harbour (Sydney, Australia) was a naval depot that had a 2 foot gauge railway around the depot. Locomotives were battery electric, flat cars seem to have been used to transport goods around, including explosives. The place is preserved, and tourist trains operate on the armory tracks on designated days. I have not visited it myself yet, but it is on my "must do" list.
The follwing site contains photos taken by some-one (I am not sure who) who has vistied the armory.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~steven.walker/album/Newington%2021%20Jun%202007/index.html (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~steven.walker/album/Newington%2021%20Jun%202007/index.html)
Hamish
In the UK there were specialist "gunpowder vans". A photo of one used in Wales for slate quarry work is at www.penmorfa.com/Slate/Tramways.htm (http://www.penmorfa.com/Slate/Tramways.htm) (scroll down a little).
There were also standard gauge vans, these were wooden 4 wheeled vans covered with steel cladding. Seewww.brc-stockbook.co.uk/GWR_Spec_1.htm (http://www.brc-stockbook.co.uk/GWR_Spec_1.htm)
Models have been made including kits of the narrow gauge ones. Seewww.modelrailways.tv/narrow_gauge/rolling_stock.htm (http://www.modelrailways.tv/narrow_gauge/rolling_stock.htm) (again scroll down). There are also some other makers of gunpowder vans.
Hamish
Thanks for the replies, even to Woody for the terrible jokes [?].
Hamish - I have a whitemetal kit of one in 7mm scale n.g or 0-16.5 bought in the UK which is similar to the prototype and model you posted the links for, except it has a pitched roof [like the old UK salt wagons] rather than a rounded roofline. Essentially a locker=box on wheels, which can be padlocked.
I just expected there to be more stuff from North American n.g mining systems, where there must be a need to transport explosives in a dry and secure environment to the quarry or mine area. Perhaps it never was locked up, making it easier for Butch and Sundance to liberate for their thievin' activities !! ;D
BTW, Hamish, I guess we are in a similar time-zone as we tend to post when the guys in the US are sleeping. You in Oz/NZ ?
Paul
Yes I am in Australia.
I too was surprised by the comments suggesting ordinary vans were commonly used for explosives in the USA, I do not know why American practice was different from UK and Australian practice. From what I can tell Australian practice was similar to the UK, at least I have seen photos of metal cladded explosive vans. The Victorian Railways 30 inch gauge Walhalla line had a van that was a regular van but had two compartments. One was for explosives (for the mines) and this had metal cladding.
Hamish
This subject has been interesting.
I got to wondering just how one would build a car to transport explosives, keeping safty in mind in case it does blow up..
If you built an open top car with strong sides, it seems the force would be directed upward and it would be safer around the perimeter of the car. The load could be covered with something light like plastic to keep it dry.
It might bury the car and track in the ground, though.
Perhaps angled vents along the sides of the car at the bottom and a floor angled upward on each side to a peak in the middle would direct part of the force to the ground next the car.
That might keep collateral damage to a minimum.
I guess the thinking was more based on prevention than 'directional containment'.
It looks like brass was used for metalwork [less likely to spark], and the explosives and detonators were carried separately. I think some of the original explosives were pretty unstable, whereas I believe gunpowder needed more 'ignition'.
Back in 1973 some MK 81 cooked off and took out part of Sacramento railroad yard. Load shifted and one MK 81 broke thru the floor. Its nose was rubbing on the steel wheel.
The highway between Reno and Las Vegas goes through the town of Hawthorne Nevada. There is a large military ordinance depot on the south side of town consisting of what looks like explosion containing structures spread over at least a square mile.
We have had to stop on the highway while a switcher type locomotive pushed conventional 50’ box cars into the storage area.
These cars appeared to be either picking up or delivering ordinance.