Eastern Railroad Discussion > Curious Delaware City oil train

Most of the unit crude oil trains from N Dakota that have run to Delaware City have come via the Port Road. Most have also come off the BNSF as evidence by at least one buffer car being a BNSF car, usually an airslide covered hopper. and virtually all the tank cars of various marks the same 30,000 gallon, 263K GWR cars used in ethanol service.

Yesterday, Dec 2 there was a parked 80 car oil train at the north end of Edgemoor yard, facing south, which meant it came down AMTK from Philly and via Reading from Harrisburg. Units were NS 2663 & 9926. I believe they were put on at Harrisburg. The only buffer car was a large covered hopper INEX 991440. The tank cars were a real variety of older ones plus a few PROX new 286k DOT 111S100W1 cars, but they are only about 25,000 gallons. Sample numbers are PROX 51020, 085 &087. Other cars were ADMX 30221, UTLX 661441. All placard 1267, crude oil. I'm curious if this train came off the CP if anyone has car trace capability. Thanks.

Now, THAT'S different.... ADMX 30221 is from the Archer-Daniels-Midland fleet which usually carrying UN1987, ethanol.

Train was a 62N from Allentown. These were loaded crude oil cars that had built up in Allentown yard coming in on various trains that were then put together and ran as a unit train from Allentown to Edgemoor via Abrams.

Posted from iPhone

vardoyardo Wrote:
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> Train was a 62N from Allentown. These were loaded
> crude oil cars that had built up in Allentown yard
> coming in on various trains that were then put
> together and ran as a unit train from Allentown to
> Edgemoor via Abrams.
>
> Posted from iPhone

that's an interesting delivery of a unit train

Thanks. That explains why I could not find this train elsewhere by other means. And the fact that the engines were reversed from previous info. The cars were a real mixture of various marks. I could not see them all as they were behind two rows of Dupont tank cars.

It is very rare to have a freight train on AMTK between Philly and Wilmington. Usually it is just the once or twice a week stone and opposite empty trains from Birdsboro to Delmarva.

As info to the rbx poster, almost all crude oil trains I have seen to Del City (maybe a dozen now) are using ex-ethanol style tank cars. They are 30,000 gallon 263k cars. Some of the ADMX cars have the ADM logo. Other cars TILX have hearlds 'Renewable Products Marketing Group' and 'Global Energy'. Some trains are all ADMX or UTLX cars, others very mixed. I'm trying to figure out how many Del City trains there were in November. But I can only tell them if they come via the Port Road.

I think what is happening here is that the oil is coming out of the shale in the Bakken field faster than the producers, railroads and tank car folks anticipated. There may have been a lack of good planning. With the early summer drought in the Mid-west thwarting corn production ethanol cars were pressed into crude oil service. I'm curious if they had to be cleaned first. Some places probably can put all or part of a unit train together, others ship single cars, hence accumulating a train at Allentown (but why not Enola)?

One thing is for sure, the crude oil rail business is here. They are building a double track loop and unloading facilities and a pipeline at Delaware City to handle the trains. The newspaper says there will be two loads a day eventually.

I question the use of single cars in unit trains. Why not use GATX's Tank-Train concept, still in use in California for crude oil with no buffer cars? Very few cars have been GATX. NS around Edgemoor is certainly not the most efficient place on NS, track and yard space is limited. All the trackage is dispatched by Track Authority which is slow and tedious. How will AMTK, running twice as many, and much faster, passenger trains than the PRR/PC did in the 60s&70s, on an alignment that has essentially the same number of tracks and configuration as then, be able to handle this business?

If you have insight, please respond.

tp117 Wrote:
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> It is very rare to have a freight train on AMTK
> between Philly and Wilmington. Usually it is just
> the once or twice a week stone and opposite empty
> trains from Birdsboro to Delmarva.

there's a nightly feeder train to Stoney Creek that uses the NEC off the high line to Hook

Nightly feeder train from Philly to Hook, is it CR, NS or CSX and what would the symbol be please? My scanner from where I live does not go that far east. Thanks.

tp117 Wrote:
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> Nightly feeder train from Philly to Hook, is it
> CR, NS or CSX and what would the symbol be please?
> My scanner from where I live does not go that far
> east. Thanks.
H86 works Monday thru Friday out of Abrams to Stoney Creek and return via Amtrak.

Posted from iPhone

I didn't know that but makes sense, I was wondering how NS served the Marcus Hook area. Does HB6 go both directions on AMTK, or does it run south via CP-Park, RG and down the branch to Stoney Creek. If NS got CR/RDGs former track rights they could do that because RDG had rights over B&P Park Jct to Eastwick to reach their branch from Eastwick thru Eddystone to Darby Creek yard and Chester. The remaining trackage in that area is a combination of former RDG/PRR and swings from one right of way to another in a few places.

tp117 Wrote:
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> I didn't know that but makes sense, I was
> wondering how NS served the Marcus Hook area. Does
> HB6 go both directions on AMTK, or does it run
> south via CP-Park, RG and down the branch to
> Stoney Creek. If NS got CR/RDGs former track
> rights they could do that because RDG had rights
> over B&P Park Jct to Eastwick to reach their
> branch from Eastwick thru Eddystone to Darby Creek
> yard and Chester. The remaining trackage in that
> area is a combination of former RDG/PRR and swings
> from one right of way to another in a few places.

from what i understand and don't take this as gospel but i was told most of NS guys working the Eddystone coal trains had let their qualifications lapse through Vine St ... it's 2nd hand info so take the info lightly