Eastern Railroad Discussion > FYI: NPR Radio Discussion on Oil Train Hazard in USA&CA

FYI: This was broadcast 2/25/15 and I think you will find it very interesting. Streaming takes about 30 minutes. Discussion of oil train safety, railroad infrastructure, regulatory problems, and local preparedness. Most informing from several points of view.


http://www.npr.org/2015/02/25/389008046/a-hard-look-at-the-risks-of-transporting-oil-on-rail-tanker-cars


Photos taken at Davenport , ND on the Red a River Valley and Western RR. Empty tank cars going west to the North Dakota oil fields on former Northern Pacific trackage.


Sent from my iPad



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/15 12:59 by ngfan.

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Larry,

Great photos, and thanks for that link.

Generations from now, people will look at such photos and say "Wow".

JS

I don't understand why it's always so negative. There are SO many benefits to using railroads to haul oil, as opposed to the other measures.

melloj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Larry,
>
> Great photos, and thanks for that link.
>
> Generations from now, people will look at such
> photos and say "Wow".
>
> JS


Thanks Jeff!!

I"D say the families of the 49 killed in Canada last year would have a different opinion.

During WWII trains of tank cars carried crude from the Texas/Oklahoma oilfields to east coast refiners before and during the construction of the Big Inch and Little inch pipe lines as too many tanker were being sunk by German subs along the Gulf and East coasts. The trains probably moved slower, the cars were smaller and almost all were riveted construction. Not to mention all jointed rail. The crude was much more stable and less volatile.
That being said, I do not recall any stories of large oil train derailments from that period. Wartime News Blackout??

There surely are big benefits to hauling crude by rail.

33,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents YEARLY. We aren't going to give up driving. Several hundred die in air crashes. We aren't going to give up flying. Without transportation, millions would die from malnutrition and other causes. Before railroads, you better hope your canned goods lasted through the winter, or you potentially got scurvy.

Railroads made it all possible to heat our homes, and even build affordable homes for that matter. Transportation is the backbone of progress.

I should point out that we use petroleum for many things in addition to using it to boil water and propel vehicles.
There are many benefits....and some costs. And, it would be nice if we lived in a perfect world.

A time will come when people will marvel about what we were able to do with fossil fuels...and how we did it.

But, a time will also come when we don't need to do much of that anymore, and I don't think that anybody other than a few misguided people will argue that things were better when people burned that stuff to boil water and propel vehicles.

JS

NYC6001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There surely are big benefits to hauling crude by
> rail.
>
> 33,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents
> YEARLY. We aren't going to give up driving.
> Several hundred die in air crashes. We aren't
> going to give up flying. Without transportation,
> millions would die from malnutrition and other
> causes. Before railroads, you better hope your
> canned goods lasted through the winter, or you
> potentially got scurvy.
>
> Railroads made it all possible to heat our homes,
> and even build affordable homes for that matter.
> Transportation is the backbone of progress.


This is 1000000% my point. Sure, those who are affected by the tragedies are going to have alternate opinions. And my heart goes out to them, it's unfortunate. But the benefits totally outweigh the risk... just my opinion.

kpcmcpkva Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> During WWII trains of tank cars carried crude from
> the Texas/Oklahoma oilfields to east coast
> refiners before and during the construction of the
> Big Inch and Little inch pipe lines as too many
> tanker were being sunk by German subs along the
> Gulf and East coasts. The trains probably moved
> slower, the cars were smaller and almost all were
> riveted construction. Not to mention all jointed
> rail. The crude was much more stable and less
> volatile.
> That being said, I do not recall any stories of
> large oil train derailments from that period.
> Wartime News Blackout??

Probably. See my first post on this discussion:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3278307,3278481#msg-3278481

NS62590 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NYC6001 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There surely are big benefits to hauling crude
> by
> > rail.
> >
> > 33,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents
> > YEARLY. We aren't going to give up driving.
> > Several hundred die in air crashes. We aren't
> > going to give up flying. Without
> transportation,
> > millions would die from malnutrition and other
> > causes. Before railroads, you better hope your
> > canned goods lasted through the winter, or you
> > potentially got scurvy.
> >
> > Railroads made it all possible to heat our
> homes,
> > and even build affordable homes for that
> matter.
> > Transportation is the backbone of progress.
>
>
> This is 1000000% my point. Sure, those who are
> affected by the tragedies are going to have
> alternate opinions. And my heart goes out to them,
> it's unfortunate. But the benefits totally
> outweigh the risk... just my opinion.

I was definitely agreeing with you.