UTLX’s 5,000th compressed gas tank car
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefUnion Tank Car Company has marked the fabrication and in-to-service completion of its 5,000th compressed gas tank car since 2010. These jumbo cars are optimized for transporting propane, butane, and other liquefied petroleum gasses, production and distribution of which is associated with the growth in North American natural gas supplies. “Rail’s role in the North American energy renaissance extends well beyond crude oil,” UTLX said.
At current production levels, UTLX said its total of compressed gas tank cars will exceed 6,000 units before the end of 2014. In the past 25 years, UTLX has manufactured more than 25,000 similar pressure tank cars ranging in capacity from 25,000 to 34,000 gallons.
“The UTLX-built equipment meets all Department of Transportation specifications for this class of container and complies with all DOT and Association of American Railroads safety regulations,” the company said. “The standard includes a fortified fittings housing with a steel cover to protect a car’s loading valves, unloading valves, and pressure relief valves. Full height, half-inch-thick head shields safeguard the ends of each car, and a steel jacket envelopes a half-inch blanket of ceramic fiber insulation over the length of the tank shell. Double-shelf couplers are designed to keep the cars securely connected to each other, a feature rarely found on rail equipment other than tank cars.”
UTLX manufacturing plants at Alexandria, La., and Sheldon, Tex., build tank cars for sale to shippers or for lease. The combined fleets of UTLX and Procor Limited include more than 100,000 tank cars and plastics hopper cars that operate throughout North America. In addition to its two manufacturing facilities, the Chicago-based company operates a major network of repair and lining shops. Its repair and inspection resources also include more than 60 dedicated On-Site® mini shops and mobile repair locations. Union Tank Car is a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company.
