Western Railroad Discussion > "Bumper Cars" on UP Tank Trains

I have a serious question about thw UP's tank trains. Do they require a spacer car betwen the locomotives and the loded string of cars? I've seen them on non inter-connected unit trains,bu cannot find out if the same safety rule applies to the infamous tank trains that used to run on the coast line. Thanks,

William Jeffers, P.E.
San Dimas, CA

Buffer car yes

Depends on what's in the tank cars. If it's classified as "Combustable", it doesn't need a buffer car. A lot of the heavy California Crude that the cans used to carry on the coast was classified as Combustable.
If it's classified as "Flammable" then it does need a buffer car. The oil you get from the Tar Sands is usually thinned with solvents so it will flow. The oil itself isn't Flammable but the solvents are and that why the whole mess is classified as Flammable and requires a buffer car.
Short version, Combustable = no buffer required, Flammable = buffer required.

Hazmat Position in Train chart we use for train building.

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