Tank Car Offloading Arrangement - Model Railroader Magazine

Not a site, but eyeballs-on reference from (altogether too many) years ago.

The total facility consisted of two raised tanks (retired tank cars) and a tin shed similar to a large garden shed.  Inside the shed, two pumps, a small boiler (fired with #2 diesel) and stowage for the various hoses used.  The shed had electric power connections and the pumps were electric motor centrifugal type.

#2 diesel flows easily, so it only required a hose connection to the tank car's bottom drain fitting.  Bunker C, OTOH, has the consistency of roof tar - hence the boiler, which was connected with insulating hoses to the in-tank heater coil (and to the storage tank heater coil) to facilitate unloading.  Once reasonably hot, the heavy oil could be pumped to the storage tank.

In those pre-EPA days, oil spills simply soaked into the ground.  The area looked like poor-quality asphalt.  The only other item - several large NO SMOKING signs.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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