Tank Car, Single Dome, 32 Foot

History: Single Dome tank cars are a railroad staple. They have been around since the first half of the 20th century. This length car can handle about 10,000 gallons. These railcars carry a wide array of commodities, including liquid fertilizers, chemicals, fuel oils and asphalt, and food-grade oils. Tank cars can be pressurized or non-pressurized, insulated or non-insulated. Single dome cars carry only a single commodity at once. Food-service tank cars may be lined with stainless steel, glass, or plastic. Tank cars carrying dangerous goods are generally made of different types of steel, depending on the intended cargo and operating pressure. They may also be lined with rubber or coated with specialized coatings for tank protection or product purity purpose. The tank heads are also stronger to prevent ruptures during accidents.

The 32 foot (190 barrel) tank of the 1890’s was built of quarter-inch steel plate. It followed the usual design of having the inlet orifice at the top of the dome and the outlet valve at the bottom to which connecting lines could be attached for emptying. A car could also be unloaded by siphon from the top, but this wasn t the usual practice. In 1892 there were as many as ten thousand tank cars in use in the United States (Bolles, 1893).

Railroad/Company: This set of items is comprised of more than one name. Please look at the component items for details on the specific roadnames and/or manufacturers.