Researching for a book: What does a rejected load of contaminated scrap look like?

Hi there, I'm writing a kids' book where a character hops into a freight train gondola full of scrap metal that's been rejected and is going back to a scrapyard. I was thinking the load might have been rejected because of contaminants, like oil tanks that hadn't been sufficiently cleaned of oil. But what would those oil tanks look like after being processed by the scrapyard? Would they just be in little pieces of metal? Or would there be large pieces moving around the train car?

Any help you could give is really appreciated! I'm also open to other suggestions of what might be in that freight car. The character in the story hops into the gondola because it's going to a scrapyard that's known as a shipper, not a receiver, but he's unpleasantly surprised to find that the gondola is actually full of metal because it's been rejected by the buyer and is going back to the scrapyard.

Thanks in advance.

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You write weird books.

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Originally Posted by jimicrk

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Not a bad idea..
I'd go with the idea that the scrap is actually Drilling rig piping and is 'Hot'.
That's 'Hot' as in radioactive. Radioactive from being close to radioactive 'Hot spots' underground when the drilling is being done.
Its not going to glow in the dark, but its useless to smelt it back into other items. Being close to it is not going to kill anyone either.

So, 4 foot lengths of wet rusty worn 4inch dia steel tube. A wagon full of them.

If I had a dime for every kid in my lifetime wanted to read a book about rejected oil tanks for scrap on a train car, I would...................HAVE ZERO DIMES

I really thought that because I am high while reading this, that I was confusing it somehow until I reread this again a few times. don't worry I am not putting down your idea I am just not sure how many books you will sell with this idea but timmy and the radioactive contaminated scrap train would be a good stoner read under 20 fully colored and illustrated pages

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Write the book! I would read it!

@Travis: I knew you were a top contributor, and suspected you may be a high poster.

You write weird books. - Auburn

You think that's weird for a kids book or any book? Ha! Some of you may recall I've mentioned before, that before I did this full time at one point I worked in a bookstore. Border's books to be exact, you know..the main rival of Barnes an Noble before Borders went out of business. Anyhow...I worked over night as part of the inventory team. We stocked, an alphabetized the books and all that fun stuff. So anyhow..My section was the kids section. The largest section in the store next to general fiction.

One book for kids that still sticks out to this day...The House that Crack Built. No bull****, an actual book of that title in the kid's section of a major book retailer.

An excerpt from the book, I still remember to this day:

"This is the house that crack built. This is the man who built the house that crack built."

It had...crack vials, crack babies, a drive by, drug dealers of various types...large scale an small, coca leaves, and even street bags of crack and cocaine. I believe there was even a picture of someone smoking crack.

The whole book was like..35 pages? Illustrated, all the above is pictured and/or mentioned.

My point is...there's a lot stranger books out there for kids. These came out after my stint at the store.

Lets see..
I'm sure this one is a big hit at bed time..
http://img.brainjet.com/slides/3/9/3...28c4f85f4.jpeg

Pay attention to the cover, I can't make this stuff up..
http://img.brainjet.com/slides/2/7/5...ef2f382a92.png

...
http://img.brainjet.com/slides/2/7/8...5583b1928.jpeg

http://img.brainjet.com/slides/9/2/8...44e5baec8.jpeg

Link to a list of 21 completely Depressing Children's books. http://http://www.brainjet.com/rando...-exist/#page=1

An for those thinking I'm making up that first book..
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u...ouse%25204.jpg

I'll take the OP's book any day...Far as what contaminated scrap/rejected...could make it a load of aluminum that was found to be "dirty" as we call it. Dirty alum is when you've left non-aluminum to the item. ex. A beach chair can be made of aluminum, but it'd be dirty at most yards if you don't remove the steel rivets or cloth/material.

Anyhow..just wanted to share the House that Crack Built, with you all.

Working in a bookstore was far from boring. lol.

Good luck with the book OP.

Sirscrapalot - Getting lost in a book is a wonderful feeling. More people should try it.

https://youtu.be/vwrybM6tL-8

Your most common steel rejections:

Birds-nest rebar
Attachment 3195
Lead joints
Attachment 3196
Steel cable (wire rope) that 55 gal drum is suspicious in that materiel also
Attachment 3197

V/r HT1