A Century of Social Distancing

RAILROAD HAZARDOUS

MATERIAL HANDLING

By Dave Husman, Omaha, NE Pre-1977

Hazmat not a new thing

• Memorial outside the ATSF/CRIP depot at Ardmore, OK commemorating when a tank car of gasoline blew up

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Hazardous Material handling in trains• Regulated by the Federal Government

• Since Federally regulated, all US railroads will have same basic rules

• Canadian rules similar, but focus on US rules

• Responsibility of the ICC (and later the FRA)• Railroad agency (AAR) – Bureau of Explosives (BOE)• Railroad rules

• There were some mentions in the rule books• Mostly in supplemental pamphlets and special instructions• Included in some tariff books

• Evolution : 1914 up to 1976• Stop at 1977 - Major change, went to “modern” placards and

rules

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Sources

• 1941, 1951, 1961 PRR General Notice No 225, “Regulations for the Transportation of Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles”

• 1914 PRR General Notice No 61-E “Regulations for the Transportation of Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles”

• 1976 BOE Pamphlet 20, “Hazardous Materials Regulations Excerpted for Railroad Employees”, “For Yardmasters, Yard Crews, and Yard Clerks”

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What we will discuss

• Placards

• Switching regulations• Handling in yards

• While working industries

• Train placement regulations• Train make up

• “Cover” cars

• Modeling

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Placards vs. Labels

• Placards are required on railcars

• Labels on individual packages, not required on railcars • Not discussing LCL handling or labeling, not particularly

modelable

• Prior to 1977 there were a limited number of CAR placards• 1914 – 3 load

• 1941 – 3 load, 1 empty

• 1951 – 5 load, 1 empty

• 1961 – 6 load, 3 empty

• 1976 – 7 load, 3 empty

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1914 Placards

• Placards – 3 basic placards : Explosives, Inflammable, Acid

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1941 Placards

• Placards – 4 basic placards : Explosives, Dangerous, Empty Dangerous, Poison Gas

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1951 Placards

• Placards – 1941 placards plus: Dangerous Class D Poison, Fumigated

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1961 Placards

• Placards – 1951 placards plus : Radioactive (replaces class D), Residual Phosphorus, Flammable Poison Gas (things changed from inflammable to flammable), Empty Flammable Poison Gas

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1976 Placards

• Placards – 1961 placards plus : Poison Gas (tank cars)

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Commodities (1941)

• Explosives

• Class A explosives

• Blasting caps

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• Dangerous

• Class B Explosives

• Flammable liquids

• Flammable solids

• Oxidizers

• Corrosive

• Compressed non-flammable gas in tank car

• Compressed flammable gas

• Class B Poison Gas

• Class B Poison Liquid

• Poison Gas• Class A Poison Gas

• Class A Poison Liquid

• None• Class C explosives

• Compressed non-flammable gas not in tank car

• Tear gas, class C poison

Note : Where commodity is in two categories, gets both placards (i.e. Explosive Poison Gas, Flammable Poison Gas)

Commodities

• Commodity written on placard or on 5 inch by 8 inch label on side of car

• As new placards added, commodities move into those placards• Radioactive, class D poison get Class D (1951) or

Radioactive (1961)

• Flammable Poison Gas (1961)

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Switching Rules

• Explosives• Can’t be next to the engine• Can’t be cut off in motion (no humping or kicking, shove to rest

only)• Can’t allow other cars cut off in motion to strike an Explosives car• Explosives should not be left standing under bridges or next to

passenger stations or sheds• Engines shouldn’t stop/stand next to cars of Explosives

• Dangerous and other loaded tank cars• If Dangerous cars need to be switched with hand brakes, they have

to be tested first• Blue Flag

• 1941 + rules require placarded tank cars being loaded or unloaded be protected by a 12”x15”blue sign with white letters saying “STOP – Tank Car Connected” or “STOP – Men at Work”

• Word STOP must be at least 4” high

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Train Placement Rules (1941)

• Explosives• Explosives must be near the middle of the train

• 16 cars from the engine (15 cover), 11 cars from the caboose (10 cover)

• Not nearer than the 2nd car from the engine and caboose

• Crew must have written notice of where the cars are in the train

• Must not be next to prohibited cars • Exceptions : In a local, a car of explosives may be next to a car

of dangerous if the rest of the train is entirely cars placarded dangerous

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Note : The difference between a through train and a local is left up to the individual railroad’s definitions

Train Placement Rules (1941)

• Dangerous, poison gas loaded tank cars• Through trains, 6th car from the engine and caboose

• Local trains, 2nd car from the engine and caboose

• If all the cars are loaded tank cars, no cover required

• Crew must have written notice of where the cars are in the train

• Must not be next to prohibited cars

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Note : The difference between a through train and a local is left up to the individual railroad’s definitions

Train Placement Rules (1941)

• Working or dead engines• Loaded placarded tank cars• Wooden frame flat or gondola cars (ex. narrow gauge)• Carloads of pipe, lumber, poles, steel, iron that could shift or break through the

end of the car• Gas burning refrigerator cars• Cars with lighted heaters, stoves or lanterns• Cars of livestock or poultry with an attendant• Cars placarded dangerous (unless all other cars in train placarded dangerous)

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• Cars prohibited from being next to a carload of explosives

Train Placement Rules (1941)

• Working engines• Carloads of pipe, lumber, poles, steel, iron that could shift or

break through the end of the car• Gas burning refrigerator cars• Cars with lighted, heaters, stoves or lanterns• Cars placarded explosives (unless all other cars in train

placarded dangerous)

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• Cars prohibited from being next to loaded tank placarded Dangerous

Train Placement Rule Evolution

• 1951• More of the terms were more closely defined• “Pick up/Set off service” instead of local service• 16th car from engine or caboose• 6th car from engine or caboose if the train is “blocked”• Poison gas included with Explosives as far as switching and

train placement• Exemption on train placement for cars occupied by handlers

or military personnel (4 cars cover if has light stove or heater)

• 1961• Added TOFC with hazardous placards to explosives switching

requirements• Flammable Poison Gas, Poison Gas and Explosives handled

the same

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Passenger and Mixed Trains

• Explosives regs address LCL/express with regard to passenger trains

• Passenger trains generally don’t carry carload freight

• If it carries car load freight and passengers, it’s a “mixed train”• Placement and switching service rules would apply

depending on whether its through or pick up/set out service

• Mixed trains can carry explosives, especially if they are the only train providing local service

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Modeling

OBJECT IS TO ADD PLAY VALUE, CONTEXT AND ATMOSPHERE

NOT TO COMPLICATE THINGS, FRUSTRATE AND TRAP OPERATORS

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• Basic Concept

Modeling

• Documentation• Placards ?

• Simpler placards (basic 3: Explosives, Dangerous, Poison Gas)• Permanent load• Temporary : Post It note or rubber cement temporary placard or magnet inside

the car, steel or tin placard

• Notation on the waybill or list• “Endorsement”

• Explosive• Dangerous• Poison Gas

• Special instruction on how you want hazmat to be handled in timetable• Cover, placement and prohibited cars• Not fair to keep it a secret

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Modeling

• Switching Explosives• Don’t kick (not a problem)• Just keep a car of cover on explosives• Don’t put under bridges or next to passenger stations

• Train placement Explosives• Middle of train or larger number of cover cars (8-10-12? Based on

train size)• Not in passenger train or next to occupied car (passenger car,

caboose, rider car)• Not next to engine• Not next to prohibited cars (hold that thought)

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Modeling

• Train placement Dangerous• Tank cars primarily• Set number of cover cars (lower number, what looks right in your train size)• Not next to occupied car (passenger car, caboose, rider car)• Not next to engine• Solid trains of placarded tank cars need no cover• “Not next to” a simple list of Prohibited cars:

• Engine, caboose, passenger, rider car

• Explosives

• Shiftable loads

• Mechanical reefers or heater cars

• Scenario• Maybe add a shiftable load or prohibited car to the train when you bill a placarded car just to force

operators to think about placement• Warn crews to check placement

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Questions?

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