Pix for my previous post

I guess I don’t have a clue on how to attach pics so you can actually see them with the post.  In case the pictures didn’t come through on my 1^st post I try again.

This is great!

When I was a kid I was fascinated with the rigid airships of the US Navy. Later I obtained one of the AHM cars intent to eventually do what you have done there. So few people ever even mention helium cars, let alone have them on their layout. Thanks for the pictures. Inspiring.

Very cool. One thing I've

Very cool. One thing I've always wondered is why they use several long skinny tanks for helium instead of one larger tank?

Every other tank.......

Is filled with lead to keep the car from floating away.

Sorry Ray, I just couldn't resist.

I don't know

But it's still done that way. The army has Aerostats (stationary blimps) for surveillance in Afghanistan and the trailers with helium are still the same configuration. 

High Pressures

It takes high pressures to compress Helium so that you can carry enough to make it worthwhile. The high pressure means that it would be difficult to build one large tank that could withstand the pressure, hence numerous smaller diameter tanks with a reasonable wall thickness versus one big tank with an extremely thick shell.

The same configuration of cylinders is used to transport natural gas by truck and trailer.

Here is a picture of a truck for transporting natural gas:

http://www.abbygas.com/index1.php

Skinny Tubes for Helium

Ray,

I did a lot of research for the Helium article I did.  And the only thing I can guess, is that the Helium was compressed to something like 3,000 psi, so maybe a single large tank would have not been practical to hold this kind of pressure. 

The first experimental rail cars feature 3 large tubes.  Lionel for some reason choose to "model" these cars even though there were only 3 cars ever built. 

Pat

Answer to tank sizes

I found this on the defunct Atlas forum.

Bernd 

Thanks! I kind of thought it

Thanks! I kind of thought it might have something to do with the pressure but wasn't sure.

I need a second one ...

... as addition to my one helium car, please!

The title

When I saw the title of this thread .....I thought it meant that the layout operators were inhaling helium.

Inhale

We do.  When operating Pat's (Cabhop's) layout, we suck on balloons and talk like Minnie Mouse.

Guys,I work for a trailer

Guys,

I work for a trailer Manufacture that built some of these units for the Military. These are 20' ISO modules with 22" tubes that are flown to the middle east during the war.

We also have some of the tubes from the old cars that we repurpose into storage units.

Wayne

Are these the same cars from

Are these the same cars from that Model Railroad Magazine Article. They look quite familiar? (the funny thing is I just read that one yesterday)

Operational considetations

Were helium carrying cars in need of special handling? Did they have to be placed away from the engine or near the caboose or have buffer cars? Can they be handled like any other freight car? Any other uses for helium besides blimps? Any commercial or industrial use wear one of these cars may be spotted other than a Good Year  hanger?

Thomas Gasior

Operational Considerations....

.....only that  they need to be tied down when full otherwise they will floataway!!  Yuk Yuk

Helium

http://www.helium-corp.com/facts/heliumuses.html

Estimated end uses of helium in the United States for 2007 (values are in million cubic feet "MMcf"):

Cryogenics........................................................727 MMcf (28%)

Pressure/Purge..................................................674 MMcf (26%)

Welding............................................................519 MMcf (20%)

Controlled Atmosphere.......................................339 MMcf (13%)

Chromatography / Lifting Gas / Heat Transfer........180 MMcf (7%)

Leak Detection...................................................102 MMcf (4%)

Breathing Mixtures...............................................53 MMcf (2%)

Here is some interesting

Here is some interesting information about these cars.

http://www.texasrrmuseum.org/roster/1237.html

Thomas, these are the Hazmat

Thomas, these are the Hazmat notices on helium.

http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/helium.pdf 

 Here ya go.

Nice--and useful chart

Tjhose Helium cars are nice   Of those vast assorted uses, how many use enough that, in this day and age, the helium will travel by rail instead of by truck?  (And when did it start travelling by rail to start with?)

Do you have a larger (easier to read) version of that switching chart?

I got that one from a web

I got that one from a web site and forgot the link. If you go to

http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/alongtheline/njdiv5/index.php  

there are several charts and pieces of info. Web site is Railroad.net 

More Info

Here's a bit more info.

http://www.gcrm.org/index.php/exhibits/freight-cars/helium-tank-car-mhax-1202

Here's a whole set of pictures to look at.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rslist.aspx?id=MHAX&cid=12

Ambroid made a kit of these cars. Scroll down about halfway for the info.

http://www.trainweb.org/ambroidkits/trains/woodkits/Ambroid_5-Cars.htm

There's more info out there. Just do a Google under helium tank cars.

Bernd

Helium is very light and fast!

While not entirely on topic I have used medical grade gas mixtures of helium and oxygen for administering bronchodilators in airways that have some obstruction for reasons that are complex.  The gas is so light that it will penetrate those closed down areas fast and carry meds where needed. I always check the effect by asking the patient to repeat after me "follow the yellow brick road". While the gas is in use flow theoretically becomes more laminar rather than turbulent. This modality in hour long nebulization can be efficacious. The H cylinders do empty out fast even with moderate flows. Always have a second grey  tank standby! they are the same color as the model railroad car. I have always wanted to have several but in O scale they were made in brass and quite expensive. Scratchbuilding one might be the way to go. 

Back on topic, that is a very cool filling station. Thanks for posting. Anyone scratchbuild one?photos? 

Transfer.

Here are some more good links and info

I have always been interested in these cars.  I have on AHM car, and will eventually get to it and upgrade it.

- Upgrading vintage AMH Helium Cars by Alain Kap Model Railroad August 2014

Here are some more good links:

A portfolio of Helium Tank Cars, Compiled by Jay H. Miller lots of photos (some of the early 3 tank cars) and a lettering diagram at the end

AHM Helium Car 5423 C Dept. of Mines  Good article - lists where the cars were used over time

Here is a scan of the Ambroid instructions

Large size scan of the instructions

Enjoy!

Tom