Bill.
Have I been under a misunderstanding for most of my life? I was always under the impression that the brine came from the ice compartments of the refrigerator cars. I was told, long ago, that when they iced a reefer, they added a quantity of salt which supposedly made the ice cool better and more rapidly. The drains for the ice compartments were located somewhat above the rail area and the liquid that discharged was brine that attacked the rail. I have never heard that livestock waste was the issue although, that also seems plausible. However, I don't think that discharge is called brine. In addition, except for leakage through the floorboards, I would think that most of that discharge would go over the side sill well away from the rail. The Q stopped oiling the track when mechanical reefers replaced most of the iced cars. BTW, they were still icing refrigerator cars at Clyde Yard in 1972 - 1974 when I was assigned there. The icing station was just west of the diesel shop complex.
Bill Barber Gravois Mills, MO Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:53 pm (PST) . Posted by:John, the flange lubricator is somewhat the same for all rail company's. They most all get them from Portec. Some rail companies, have hyrails that have lubricators. The wayside or fixed lubricators have made somewhat of a come back of recent, because of the high cost of a rail relay. Brine is not much of a issue, now, they haul no animals, except Circus.
The big issue is rail wear, some rail lines tried to put lubricators on Engines, with little success, when a engine is needed to fill a consist, they don't care whether its full of curve grease. Most rail lines have quit painting bridges, because rust is of little consequence.
It wears out, before it rusts away.
William Jackson
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