I was skimming through pics of freight cars and came across 'Fuel Cars'. Most seem to bear 'BN' or 'BNSF' markings. Since I don't see them today I'm guessing that they were a nice idea but superfluous? I could see a modding a shorty tank car for such a purpose. * How were they used? * Were they permanently coupled? * Identifying feathers? Thanks!
Do you mean company-owned tank cars used to transport diesel fuel to terminals like this one? [04/1984, Tuscaloosa, AL]
These cars? https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/bnsf-moves-lng-testing-north/ BNSF used them for testing natural gas locomotives, and Florida East Coast also has some converted well cars with tank containers in them used to extend the range of their locomotives, also LNG powered: https://www.railwayage.com/mechanical/locomotives/fec-rolls-out-lng/ BN had both diesel tender and LNG tender tank cars. These were mainly used in the Powder River Basin: https://www.railwayage.com/news/lng-power-a-history-lesson/
@Mr. Trainiac WOW! Thanks! Well, the Grey and Grandure is a source for LNM, (Liquified Natural Mystrium), So, yes, maybe they should explore using that in their locomotives. Thanks again.
BNSF also used fuel tenders to run in consist providing diesel to the locomotives to a) extend the range B) to keep the locomotive fuel tanks full increasing tractive effort.
Yeah, Burlington Northern back in the late 80's early 90's used "fuel tenders" painted green in between sets of locomotives for long haul trains.
For a period of time in the early 1990's CSX used a tank car 'fuel tender' on a daily coal train run between Chattahoochee, FL and a Florida Power & Light plant near Palatka, FL. The aim was to decrease the occurrences of fueling the train from every other day to weekly. I believe this was tried for the best part of a year, and then abandoned. The information that trickled to me was that the tank car being used could not stand up to the buff and draft forces that were being generated by having it in the locomotive consist. There were also issues in transferring fuel between the tender and the locomotives. Al in all a failed experiment. The total movement was rail from a mine in WV, to a Ohio River transload facility. Barge from the transload facility down the Ohio, Mississippi and Intercoastal waterways to Apalachicola, FL. Transloaded from barge to rail cars at Apalachicola for the A&N to move trainloads up to Chattahoochee to interchange with CSX for movement to the power plant. I don't know how, but the movement made economic sense for FP&L to use this movement for decades.
