Officials investigate mysterious disappearance of 30-Ton shipment of explosive chemicals in Californ

[Kamaji]

Just look for the tracks with the really tall weeds growing in between the rails (like the grass over the septic tank).

[Smokin Joe]

The 1947 ship explosion in Texas City of a load of AN, is credited as the largest man made non-nuclear explosion in history.  21,000 Metric Tons ignited., and flattened miles around the dock.  I remember relatives telling me they heard the blast where they lived over 200 miles away.

Halifax, Nova Scotia 1917, the explosion of the Mont Blanc rivaled that one, but I believe the Texas City one took the title. Both were devastating.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Halifax-explosion

[GtHawk]

Ok here's the big question, where and how soon before the election are the FBInsurrectionists going to employ it?

[Fishrrman]

This originated in Cheyenne, which is Union Pacific territory. Might have been on UP the whole trip.

The railroad(s) involved will know exactly where the car went, where it stopped, how fast it was moving, etc. Record keeping is pretty good these days.

Back in the days of Penn Central (1970's), they lost cars and even entire trains.
But those times are over.

If one of the bays had a leak, I'd start looking the entire route the car traveled.
If it got "humped" at an intermediate yard, I'd look there, too -- car may have leaked when it hit the standing cars after going "over the hump and into the bowl".

I can't see the car having been secretly placed on a track somewhere and unloaded that way. The railroad would know about that, and crews wouldn't be able to do it, anyway -- not on a "through freight".

My GUESS is that the contents just leaked out along the way...

[Fishrrman]

One more thought about "the empty hopper".

If the car arrived "empty"... could it have been shipped empty? Either unintentionally... or otherwise?

Someone could have mistakenly sealed it and marked it as "loaded", when nothing had been loaded into it yet.

An empty covered hopper doesn't look any different than a loaded one from the outside. With one exception: the springs on the trucks. When empty, they'll be "long" (extended) -- when loaded, they'll be compressed downwards. But you've got to be looking for that to see it.

Stranger things have happened on the railroad...!

[Smokin Joe]

One more thought about "the empty hopper".

If the car arrived "empty"... could it have been shipped empty? Either unintentionally... or otherwise?

Someone could have mistakenly sealed it and marked it as "loaded", when nothing had been loaded into it yet.

An empty covered hopper doesn't look any different than a loaded one from the outside. With one exception: the springs on the trucks. When empty, they'll be "long" (extended) -- when loaded, they'll be compressed downwards. But you've got to be looking for that to see it.

Stranger things have happened on the railroad...!

Interesting point. Thirty tons is a small fraction of the capacity of that car, so it is possible that the difference would go unnoticed.

[mountaineer]

The FBI have been superdooper busy lately.

Bill Stivers
@RealActionBill
30 tons of ammonium nitrate missing.
50 U.S. senators have been issued satellite phones for emergency communication.
U-Haul truck with a "Nazi flag" crashes into White House barriers
Patriot Front (Feds) holding rallies and marches.
What are "they" planning?
5:59 AM · May 23, 2023

[verga]

One more thought about "the empty hopper".

If the car arrived "empty"... could it have been shipped empty? Either unintentionally... or otherwise?

Someone could have mistakenly sealed it and marked it as "loaded", when nothing had been loaded into it yet.

An empty covered hopper doesn't look any different than a loaded one from the outside. With one exception: the springs on the trucks. When empty, they'll be "long" (extended) -- when loaded, they'll be compressed downwards. But you've got to be looking for that to see it.

Stranger things have happened on the railroad...!

about 30 years ago I had a contractor on an Asbestos removal I was supervising accidently mark and seal the wrong truck. Came within minutes of sending an empty truck to special landfill. Heads almost rolled.

[NavyCanDo]

Lionel has quickly responded to the Chinese Spy Ballon craze introducing a 2 car set, one containing a Spy Balloon with a target on it on a  launch pad and the second car with an Air Defense missile.   How soon will they come out with the empty explosive chemicals car.  Being in the O Guage hobby I know how quickly these Novalty cars get bought up.

Oddly enough guess where Lionel manufacturers their trains today. Yep, China.