Full-scale shell impact test of a dot-113c120w9 tank car filled with liquid nitrogen

On May 14, 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a full-scale shell impact test (Test 13) of a DOT-113C120W9 (also identified as DOT-113) specification tank car at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. This test was the final impact test in a planned series of four. A DOT-113 is a double-walled tank car (i.e., tank-within-a-tank) designed to transport authorized cryogenic liquids by rail. The tested tank car was purpose-built for this test to meet the specifications for a DOT-113C120W9 tank car. The tank car had a volume of approximately 34,500 gallons. During the test, a ~297,000-pound ram car equipped with a 12-inch by 12-inch impactor struck the outer shell of the tank car at its mid-height and longitudinally offset 10.8 feet towards the A-end. The researchers intended the offset impact location to be consistent with the impact location in the previous side impact test of a legacy DOT-113 tank car (Test 10). Figure 1 shows the tank car in its pre-test position against the impact wall at the TTC.