A METALLURGICAL INVESTIGATION OF A FULL-SCALE INSULATED RAIL TANK CAR FILLED WITH LPG SUBJECTED TO A FIRE ENVIRONMENT

An analysis of the failure of an insulated rail tank car, RAX 202, which had been tested to failure in a fire environment at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, was requested by the Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation. The tank car, filled with approximately 33,000 gallons of liquefied pertoleum gas (LPG), failed after approximately 94 minutes of exposure to a JP-4 jet fuel fire. The car fractured into four fragments which were examined in the field. Five plate samples from the four fragments were selected for laboratory study at the National Bureau of Standards.

• Record URL:
  https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/metallurgical-investigation-full-scale-insulated-rail-tank-car-filled-lpg-subjected-fire
• Corporate Authors:

  National Bureau of Standards

  14th Between E Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20234

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Early, J G
  • Interrante, C G
• Publication Date: 1975-1

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 71 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alloy steel; Explosions; Fires; Liquefied petroleum gas; Metallurgy; Safety; Specifications; Tank cars
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00131039
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FRA-OR&D 75-52 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-AR-40008
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 21 1977 12:00AM