Bulk foodstuffs at a team track?
#1
Probably already answered somewhere, but can bulk foodstuffs like corn oil and flour be unloaded at a team track? I'm wondering if there are FDA rules about that - possible contamination, uncovered facility, etc. I'm not talking about a dedicated transload but a vanilla spur.

Thanks!
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#2
My guess would be yes for various fluids since most would be transported in dedicated tank trucks that could/would be equipted with pumps to aid in unloading the tank cars and in turn unloading these trucks into storage tanks at the customer. I'm sure there is someone here who can give a better answer though.
Johnathan (Catt) Edwards
"The Ol Furrball"

"I'm old school,I still believe in respect"
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#3
A team track by definition is open to all, while a dedicated unloading station is required for any foodstuffs or potentially hazardous spilled materials.

If a team track was actually a spur serving a number of receiving industries, I suppose each would be equipped with a proper unloading facility along the spur, but then it wouldn't actually be a proper "team track" in the true meaning of the term.

EPA rules are such that companies unloading these materials are fully responsible for any spillage, contamination, etc., making it highly unlikely that anyone else would be allowed to utilize the same track.
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#4
There is a company in Westborough, Massachusetts called Transflo. Although it is a private company, it does fall into the category of a team track. This is what is unloaded at this site: Flour for local bakeries and restaurants-Plastics for small, local manufacturers
-Chemicals needed to ensure clean water for local communities-Raw materials used in pharmaceutical & cosmetics production
-Oil being transported for recycling-De-icing fluids used by airplanes at Hanscom Field and Logan Airport-Edible oils-Renewable BioFuels. Also on site is a second company called Tate and Lyle which is just corn oil. These two companies share a platform about 2200' X 400' This facility is alongside a small yard that is serviced by CSX on the main line between Boston and Albany Al Jones
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#5
There was an article on the Tate & Lyle corn syrup transload facility in the 2010 Model Railroad Planning special issue. It's a neat article because it explains how the facility is its own switching job with crews having to place the tank cars in specific spots because of the different grades of corn syrup. They have to use different hoses for each grade to avoid cross contamination.

A transload facility would allow for different materials to be handled on the same or different tracks. Some facilities are in freight yards or former freight yards.

The vest pocket railroads that were in New York City were only connected to the rest of the world by car float, but you could just have a direct interchange. These vest pocket railroads handled everything from coal to fuel to perishables to flour to general merchandise and had all sorts of equipment for transloading such as cranes, storage silos, tanks, warehouses, and open air storage.

The Grafton & Upton Railroad as well as the New York & Greenwood Lake Railroad are examples of railroads serving transload facilities.
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines

" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
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#6
Yes,bulk food stuffs can be unloaded on a siding . The corn oil would be pumped from the tank car directly into the tank trailer via the trailer's hose. Flour would need a portable unloading chute.
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#7
Kind of hard to believe that government that declares Halloween pumpkins one of the causes of global warming would take such a lassiez faire` approach to unloading bulk foodstuffs. Icon_lol

Quote:Pumpkins, according to the Department of Energy’s website, contribute to global warming
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#8
Pardon my ignorance, but can someone tell me the difference between corn syrup and corn oil? Is corn oil a cooking oil like olive oil? What is it used for and in what quantities?

Mark
Fake It till you Make It, then Fake It some More
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#9
Corn syrup is sweet and rich usually used for desserts and beverages, the oil is just like any regular cooking oil - thick and yellow.
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines

" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
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