HAZMAT equipment
of what NSC plans to build are the DOT-117 cars specified in the U.S. and Canada to replace the DOT-111 in hazmat service. While rules permit the 111 cars to be upgraded, for operators it makes little economic sense. “There’s a surplus of the 111 flammable tank cars used to haul ethanol, biodiesel and LPG,” Pickel says. The market for pressure cars [cars used to haul materials under pressure] “is long right now. And, it’s not easy to convert a hazmat car to non-hazmat, which is considered controversial because the physical structure, the thickness of the tank wall, can be affected, among other things. Tank cars are permitted to operate for 50 years like most other freight cars, but a hazmat car must be recertified safe every 10 years” by the FRA and its counterpart, Transport Canada. Pickel said that with the recent increases in drilling and fracking, a corresponding uptick in shipments of derivative chemicals by rail would follow. “Most carbuilders have cut back capacity. We’ll wait until there is some critical mass to restart our production lines.” For parts suppliers, the ability to supply a broad array of commodity shippers means business remains brisk. For cars carrying flammable crude oil and ethanol, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act set out requirements for phase-outs and upgrades that is good news for aftermarket companies. page landscape: 7 The x 4deadlines 15/16 for cars to meet new safety rules:
Crude Oil
Car type • Non Jacketed DOT-111 • Jacketed DOT-111 • Non Jacketed CPC-1232 • Jacketed CPC-1232
Deadline 1/1/18 3/1/18 4/1/20 5/1/25
Ethanol
• Jacketed and Non Jacketed DOT-111 • Non Jacketed CPC-1232 • Jacketed CPC-1232
5/1/23 7/1/23 5/1/25
“Business is good for us,” says Griffin Schiele, sales engineer for Salco Products, a manufacturer and marketer of freight car parts based in Lemont, Ill. Schiele said that after the collapse of CBR, the rail market turned 180 degrees. Plastic pellets are now the hot commodity for Salco, which specializes in diversified offerings such as fittings for loading or off-loading cars that carry enclosed products. Schiele also observes that the spectacular growth of the CBR market was a prime opportunity for Salco to be more than just a supplier. Salco sells to leasing companies, shippers, repair networks and carbuilders, “and there is an educational process for small customers to understand our products. So, we do quite a bit of consulting; that’s our
4/20
NOW OPEN! Introducing GBSummit
The Greenbrier Companies and The Sumitomo Corporation of Americas have entered into a 50/50 joint venture agreement to establish GBSummit, LLC.
GBSummit’s new state-of-the-art axle facility in San Bernardino, California provides new axle machining and finishing as well as axle downsizing. This fully automated manufacturing plant delivers a higher degree of precision and efficiency, ensuring each axle meets AAR
We offer comprehensive axle services including: • Finishing • Machining • Downsizing • Inspections & Cleaning Location:
San Bernardino, California
or custom specifications. This nearly 80,000 square feet, world class facility can produce up to 50,000 axles per year and ship them to freight car owners across North America.
p: 844-417-0223 | 877-295-1689 e: info@GBSummit.com 26
Railway Age
May 2017
Staffing:
40 Employees At Full Operation
1425 Cooley Court, San Bernardino, CA 92408
Axle Finishing Capacity: Approx. 50,000 axles/year