Case Study: North American Manufacturing Company achieves AAR-compliant 30,000 Gallon Tank Car Design with BNSF Logistics

North American Manufacturing Company - Customer Case Study

North American Manufacturing Company, a company entering the railcar build industry, needed help designing a complete 30,000-gallon tank car for unrestricted interchange approval by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). To meet this challenge, the company turned to BNSF Logistics for engineering expertise, including a full drawing package and finite element analysis (FEA) reporting.

BNSF Logistics developed a 30,000-gallon tank car design capable of carrying a 286,000 lb gross rail load, performed AAR-compliant stress and fatigue analysis, and evaluated additional structural load requirements for the nozzle and manway assemblies. The result was a complete, AAR-compliant design submission with final structural analysis documentation that met and exceeded the customer’s expectations.