explosives trains/wagons

[Terry Toenges]

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.

[ASIANLIFE]

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'.

[Dr EMD]

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.

[NelsOn-30]

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.