Each tankcar has a label/placard system with certain coding & hazmat info to easily identify the materials in case of an emergency. This is required by law & I’ve yet to see one not in compliance while cruising the neighborhood stopping at tracks daily/every other day. Just do a quick online search of some of the placard codes next time you are waiting at a crossing & it would blow your mind to know what is traveling around the community every day. UN1170 for ethanol, UN1017 for Chlorine to name a couple & show the naming convention. The thicker wall/smaller body tankcars are typically the scary ones.

I’ve been in the tankcar manufacturing industry for years & it is not common for the customer/product owner to be discussed or identified in these scenarios. Primarily, the carrier (in this case NS) & manufacturer of the car take the heat (receive Federal Rail (FRA) investigation & govt crawling all up their asses). Many of these end users/buyers are big oil & gas producers, polymer/plastics producers— Chevron, Phillips 66, PPG, etc. Very likely this is just a routine buy for the end user. Not to say it isn’t fishy, whatever’s happening with this deal. The lack of coverage and lack of “muh environment” by the left is crazy imo. My personal belief is this is just an unfortunate scenario with no real “evil purpose”. Maybe everybody is too transfixed on aliens to care.