Hopper Rail Car Tank

The first to be built was Glasshopper I. It successfiilly passed all of the required American Association of Railroads (AAR) tests including the 454.000 kg (1,000,000 lb) static end compression test and the 568.000 kg (1,250,000 lb) coupler force impact test in the laboratory, and then successfiilly completed a roimd trip between St. Louis, MO and Oakland, CA [9700 km (6000 mile)]. From outward appearance, the RP designs were very similar to the standard ACF steel-covered hopper car. The first RP prototype, Glasshopper 1 that was in grain service, had four compartments. The car had a total capacity of 142 m (5000 ft ) and an overall length of about 16 m (53 ft). Its basic specifications are shown in Table 6.1. Table 6.1 Glasshopper 1 basic specifications  

Extreme height, rail to top of hatch bumper 15ft6in 

The second prototype car Glasshopper 11 that was latter put into service had three compartments. The tare weight of the second car was 24,600 kg (54,200 lb), which was 4000 kg (8800 lb) lighter than a standard steel car weight of 28,600 kg (63,000 lb). 

Construction details for Glasshopper I consist of a filament wound (FW) RP car body, RP/balsawood core sandwich panel bulkheads and slope sheets, steel side sills and shear plates, steel bolster webs, and RP hatch covers. Standard running gear and safety appliances were utilized, as were standard gravity outlets. Several changes in construction details 

Component Material Weight lbs Component weight Total weight 

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Railroads generally do not supply tank cars and other special-purpose rail cars such as covered hopper cars for the movement of bulk plastic materials. Rather, shippers or receivers must furnish such equipment, usually through a purchase or lease arrangement with car manufacturers or lessors. 

Rail freight car means a car designed to carry freight or nonpassenger personnel by rail, and includes a box car, flat car, gondola car, hopper car, tank car, and occupied caboose. 

Railroad Cars. Aluminum is u in the construction of railroad hopper cars, box cars, refrigerator cars, and tank cars. Aluminum is also used extensively in passenger rail cars for mass transit systems. 

This state-of-the-art report addresses the use of thermal precleaning for tanks, vessels, rail tank cars and hopper cars, and process ecjuipment, when preparing surfaces for the apphcation of high-performance or high-bake coating and lining systems. 

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