FRAGMENTATION AND METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS OF TANK CAR RAX 201

On 28 July 1973, the Ballistic Research Laboratories performed a full-scale fire test on a 33,000 gallon, DOT 112A340W non-insulated, pressure, rail rank car for the Federal Railroad Administration and Association of American Railroads. The car was filled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). After 24.5 minutes of exposure to the fire, the tank car ruptured. This report concerns the mapping of the fragments and metallurgical analysis of the ruptured car, along with an investigation of the cause and initial location of failure.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fragmentation-and-metallurgical-analysis-tank-car-rax-201
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Ballistic Research Laboratory

  Aberdeen Proving Ground
  Aberdeen, MD  United States 

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Anderson, C
  • NORRIS, E B
• Publication Date: 1974-8

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 37 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Explosions; Failure; Field tests; Fire prevention; Fires; Hazardous materials; Liquefied petroleum gas; Metallography; Metallurgy; Protection; Railroad cars; Research; Safety; Tank cars
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fragmentation
• Old TRIS Terms: Bursting strength; Safety research; Tank car safety research and test project
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00091301
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-AR-30026
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 26 1976 12:00AM