Tanker Loading Platform

For all the obvious safety reasons you should convert your tankers to bottom fill. I would use this as motivation for the tankers that are too short so you can get them converted to bottom loader systems.

If not, contact a local welder / fabrication shop and have them build you the rectangular barrier you need. I would suggest counter balancing it instead of using hydrolics because failure could result in the barrier dropping rapidly and sparking off the tanker upon impact. You can use either cable and weight counter balance or an arm sticking out. We used something similar to offload rail cars with a top un-load system (there was no way to convince the railroad to bottom load/unload.

Our barrier system included a walkway that lowered down to the tank car with a tubular railing barrier counterbalanced by springs and weights.

Good luck, let us know what solution you decide.

Drew

Retractable ladders are customarily fitted to these platforms as drew k stated...a railing surround with a chain or bar to prevent unintentional access.

Thank you gentlemen,

Is their any photo floating around of the retractable ladder fitted to these platform? It would be handy to show the fabricator.

This is the closest I can find on a quick search. This setup does not have the railing that lowers around the top of the tank car. But this is what you would need to utilize the method I described. If your setup is different, describe it (or upload a picture).

tanker offload

Drew

Example http://www.saferack.com/SafeRack_blog/index.cfm/2009/8/7/Hydrated-lime-maker-upgrades-gangway-for-truckloading-area

A much better example than my pathetic attempt!

The orange tubular device toward the bottom of the platform looks like many of the spring / gas cylinder supports I have seen in the past. They work well to offset the weight supported so it can easily be moved by hand.

This is also a nice free standing unit.

Drew

I started a quick sketch but this looks better some how

http://www.saferack.com/self-adjusting-stair-style-gangways.cfm

Gives the loader stability while they swing the boom into position...

http://www.saferack.com/self-adjusting-stair-style-gangways.cfm

I should have thought to google loading rack...good find!

This looks similar to what we used to offload rail cars at a BNSF rail yard where I drove fuel trucks for a summer job.

The one we had was not as professionally designed though, I think we had counterbalanced weights from cables above. We did have a large rectangular railing that came down separate that surrounded the manhole on top of the rail car. The design pictured only allows safe access to the top of the car in rain and snow fuel splattered metal gets super slick so they engineered the railing to lower around the area we needed to work.

The whole thing was on a slide so if the car wasn't exactly positioned we could move it a few feet to get the walkway positioned. We were unloading a half dozen rail cars at once though. This wouldn't be as critical if only one car at a time was being offloaded.

I was thinking of driving back to the rail yard and taking a picture, but this is a better design anyway.

Drew

To all,

Thank you for your assistance in developing the design concept.

Cheers!

I too have hauled fuel tankers, It was at the Kanab fuel depot the overhead fueling platforms were used but they were fully articulated; the entire platform or parts of it and individually.

Our takers had a shallow and narrow well which the driver could walk the top with form one partition to another. It was nice to step off the loading platform and walk the trailer with the platform hand rail handy.

2 of the best road tankers designers, see below may be able to offer assistance

http://www.kockumsindustries.com/

http://www.tieman.com.au/