Minimum tank car safety clearances from adjacent buildings or structures shall be in accordance with the following table:
Nature of Building Construction | Min. Distance With Fender Wall | Min. Distance Without Fender Wall |
External walls of fire-resistive construction – no openings | 15' | 25' |
External walls of fire-resistive construction – with openings | 25' | 50' |
External walls not of fire-resistive construction | 50' | 75' |
"Minimum distance" refers to distance between centerline of track and exterior face of building wall.
"No openings" means no windows, doors or other openings in wall opposite car for a distance equal to the length of the car plus 15 feet on both ends and for a height of 25 feet above tank car rail elevation.
"Fender wall" refers to a freestanding wall five feet longer at each end than the length and five feet higher than the greatest height of the tank cars to be used and shall be interposed between the tank car track and such building. The wall shall be of four-hour fire-resistive construction and shall have a fender or return wall at each end of the same height and thickness and extending at least three feet on the tank car side of such fender wall. It shall be located parallel to the siding and its centerline shall be not less than eight feet and not more than fifteen feet from the centerline of the track.
The minimum tank car safety clearances shall be construed to require a space open its entire area to the sky and shall apply to property dividing lines or adjacent property which may be built upon, to adjoining and adjacent public ways, and to any main line of a steam, electric or elevated railway or any other railway right-of-way.
(Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-96, p. 15616)