Tank car history

[kasskaboose]

Rob: Nice work on the tank cars.  There's so few of them on my layout that it's quite sad.  I need to follow your example of purchasing them from a train show.  Paying $20+ for one one is expensive.  Given that they don't have much demand is prob one reason they cost so much.

[wp8thsub]

For those of us who don't model that old stuff, there are still kits that surface at train shows on a regular basis.  Some of the Walthers and MDC cars had a reputation for being difficult to assemble cleanly, so modelers who acquired a stockpile sometimes dispose of them after they mess around with a kit or two.

I recently acquired the two MDC cars at center here for $10 total from a show vendor.  These were intended to be Richmond Tank Car prototypes from the 1970s and '80s, a car used by several lease fleets.  During assembly, I added Kadee #119 shelf couplers and Intermountain wheelsets.  The TLDX car at left is the current Athearn model of roughly the same RTC prototype.  All these could use some weathering.

This funnel flow car was from a Walthers three-pack.  The original kits had platform stanchions that didn't fit too well, along with being oversized.  Brackets for the safety bars and end railings weren't provided at all.  I used Athearn blue box handrail stanchions to replace the kit parts where appropriate, and for adding the missing ones.  The Athearn stanchions no only make the car look better, but they make it more durable too.

This funnel flow car has Athearn stanchions added to the safety bars and end railings, but retains the original Walthers stanchions on the platforms.  I've since replaced those with Athearn parts too, so the railings around the platform now look like the smaller cars in the previous photo.

["JaBear"]

I had previously linked to this photo in the “Waldorf and Statlers Photo of the Day” thread, but pertinent to this thread, I find it of interest that only 2 of the 5 tank cars appear to be similar.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm7Dxj41i90/VixjpHdyYqI/AAAAAAAAUCY/q_fI3fjaPZY/s1600/BLOG_EngineHouse-11-57-copy.jpg

Thanks for the interesting topic Tom.

Cheers, the Bear.

[doctorwayne]

You're right again, Tom.   I forgot the part about kits being painted and decorated - the Tichy kits weren't painted, nor were the Tangent and Rapido cars.  I used Black Cat decals for the Tichy tank cars and the Varney/Tichy kitbash.  The Rapido reefer was done with a combination of Champ decals and C-D-S dry transfers.

Wayne

[tstage]

doctorwayne

This is Tichy's tank with the small dome:

...and the large dome version:

Wayne,

Thanks for posting the pics.

Yea, forgot about the Bowser kits, which I do like.  I did remember the Tichy tank car kits but didn't mention them because I thought those came undecorated.  Did the ones above come painted and lettered, Wayne?  Or, did you do those yourself?

I'm also finding less and less Intermoutain/Red Caboose kits at my LHS so I'm guessing they have gone RTR.  The only kits on their website are all undecorated/unlettered.

Tom

[doctorwayne]

tstage

....I've actually learned more about cars and car construction by putting the kits together than buying them RTR....

That's certainly true, Tom, and the Tangent kit, along with a kit for Rapido's meat reefer, both provided learning opportunities for me.  On the tank car, I replaced all of the brake piping and rods with metal parts, and also replaced the long walkway handrail - it was a very nicely-done one-piece plastic casting, but a bit too fragile, in my opinion, for something in such a vulnerable place.  Almost all of my rolling stock cycles on or off the layout at the staging yards, so it's handled regularly.  I made a new railing from phosphor bronze wire.  I was going to replace the nicely-done plastic ladders with scratchbuilt brass ones, too, as they're in the spot where I'd usually grab to pick up the car, but I've decided to see how these stand up.
On the Rapido car, I kept the oversize brake piping, as it's not readily visible and I very seldom stage derailments with roll-overs.  I did, however, replace all of the brake rodding, the sill steps, and roof grabs with metal parts.

In addition to Accurail, Bowser still offers some kits, as does Atlas (the former Branchline stuff), Rail Shop (carbon black covered hoppers), and Rib Side Cars (Milwaukee Road boxcars).  Red Caboose/Intermountain also offer some of their cars as kits, and don't overlook Tichy - they have two different versions of tankcars, in addition to boxcars, flats, gondolas, and reefers, plus, of course, the wreck crane.

This is Tichy's tank with the small dome:

...and the large dome version:

dknelson

....don't overlook the dome on the Varney plastic tank car (an otherwise not distinguished model to be frank so you might not mind doing the necessary surgery to salvage the dome).

I have a Varney tank which was one of my original cars back in the '50s.  With a little detail work (and it could use a little more) it's acceptable for service on my current layout:

This one was built using a shortened Varney tank on the Tichy underframe (the latter is available separately):

dknelson

...I wish I knew the manufacturer - perhaps early 1950s but possibly much earlier -- of an all metal tank car kit with very nice rivet detail and a nicely detailed dome....

I believe that both Athearn and MDC offered metal tank cars, but the one which you saw may have been from True Scale - I picked up one, unbuilt, in its original box, in a nearby hobby shop earlier this year, for $1.50.  All-metal, with very nice detail, and pre-lettered for SHELL (red on a yellow car).  I gave it to a friend who likes building the older stuff - this one had no trucks, but there are much better ones available nowadays.

Wayne

[dti406]

gmpullman

tstage

it appears that those were three separate tanks combined into one car

 

Tom,

I did not realize that there was a buffer chamber between the compartments until I saw pg. 19 of your UTLX story.

I have been waiting for Tangent to rerun some of their three compartment cars including the Cosden example:

https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/general-american-6000-gal-3-comp-tank-car/

I don't think clearances played any part in the domes. There was simply three compartments for shipping lesser quantities of different products to the same consignee. 

I did manage to grab one of these when they were available:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Tangent-Scale-HO-11518-02-GA-Tank-Car-COSX-p/tsm-11518-02.htm 

Glad you enjoyed the Barriger library. There are over 28,000 photos there. A veritable treasure trove of information.

Regards, Ed

By the way these cars were used upto and including the 70's, a friend of mine was a brakeman/conducter on the B&O into CSX and remembers those cars being switched into Sherman Williams paint all the time.

Rick J

[dknelson]

I have said it before and will say it again.  Although firms such as Atlas have done a great job of bringing us more and different tank car models, IMHO the tank car remains under-represented commercially given the huge variety that existed in nearly every era.   And tank cars tended to have long service lives that spanned eras, sometimes spanning three eras. 

A few points.  First, for replacement expansion domes it is all to easy to forget the cast white metal offerings from Selley, as found on the Bowser website.

http://www.bowser-trains.com/docs/HO%20Selley/Selley%20Drawings%20Page%205.jpg

Second, don't overlook the dome on the Varney plastic tank car (an otherwise not distinguished model to be frank so you might not mind doing the necessary surgery to salvage the dome).

I wish I knew the manufacturer - perhaps early 1950s but possibly much earlier -- of an all metal tank car kit with very nice rivet detail and a nicely detailed dome.  I have looked endlessly at swap meets for another like it and so far have come up empty.  I did find a similar all metal tank car with two domes that is an interesting model but not as nicely done as that first one.  It might be an old International? Red Ball?  Old Mantua before plastic?  I just don't know.  Archaic what ever it is but my goal was to get some variety in the fleet.

I also have an old old old paper side (!) tank car that might well be a Megow - possibly pre WWII.  

And to tell a story on myself I saw a really nice looking tank car for sale at a swap meet.  The guy had painted, lettered, and weathered it very nicely, and it had good quality trucks and KD couplers.  I paid his asking price. Only when I got it home did I learn it was a Mantua/Tyco plastic car! Shows the magic a nice finish and better trucks can do.

Dave Nelson

[tstage]

doctorwayne

I suspect that the kit market is rather limited nowadays, so making lettered kit versions wouldn't likely be cost effective.

Wayne,

Given the number of manufacturers left that still offer painted and lettered kits (Accurail), yes - it's no surprise; just disappointing.   Still being a somewhat RR novice I've actually learned more about cars and car construction by putting the kits together than buying them RTR.  But...that's another topic.

Tom

[doctorwayne]

tstage

Too bad the only kit is the undecorated version.

I suspect that the kit market is rather limited nowadays, so making lettered kit versions wouldn't likely be cost effective.  I purchased the kit, and made some modifications to it.  Mine is now painted and I'll letter it for a freelance company, using mostly Champ alphabet sets.  There isn't much in the way of tank car lettering available nowadays, especially for older car types - even finding appropriate dimensional data is difficult.

Wayne

[tstage]

Thanks for the heads up on the 3-dome Tangent tank cars, Ed.  I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those.  Too bad the only kit is the undecorated version.

Tom

[gmpullman]

tstage

it appears that those were three separate tanks combined into one car

Tom,

I did not realize that there was a buffer chamber between the compartments until I saw pg. 19 of your UTLX story.

I have been waiting for Tangent to rerun some of their three compartment cars including the Cosden example:

https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/general-american-6000-gal-3-comp-tank-car/

I don't think clearances played any part in the domes. There was simply three compartments for shipping lesser quantities of different products to the same consignee. 

I did manage to grab one of these when they were available:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Tangent-Scale-HO-11518-02-GA-Tank-Car-COSX-p/tsm-11518-02.htm 

Glad you enjoyed the Barriger library. There are over 28,000 photos there. A veritable treasure trove of information.

Regards, Ed

[tstage]

And thanks for posting that link, Ed.  Interesting to see the variety of expansion dome types, sizes, and quantities on the riveted tank cars. Seems many models currently on the market are mainly single dome and limited to one or two dome-types.  I notice a lot more variation in those photos than what's available.

I would love to find some riveted tank car kits/models like the Dupont and Glen-Pool tankers on pg.1 and the Cosden & Co. tankers on pg.2.  And, from the slightly different gal. markings at the top of the A, B, and C domes on the latter and the additional rivet lines along the seam, it appears that those were three separate tanks combined into one car.  I assume that was to minimize the height of the domes (for clearance reasons) had a single dome been used.

Tom

[gmpullman]

Thanks for posting that link, Tom. That was an informative "tour" of tank car history.

By chance, I had just finished reading Titan: The Life Of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow. A fascinating glimpse into the nascent oil industry and some of John D's wheeling and dealing with the railroads to make sure that HIS oil was transported at reduced rates while his competitor's paid dearly for rates.

If anyone has not had the chance, here is a link to photos from the John Barriger III library, American Car and Foundry album, 521 photos, many recently added and many detailed photos of tank cars and other interesting railroad equipment.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/albums/72157649155982802

Thanks again, Tom!

Ed

[Motley]

Aha aha, very nice. I love tank cars. Nothing cooler than a tanker unit train arriving at the refinery.

[dknelson]

My goodness you'd almost swear they went to all this trouble just to entertain and assist us model railroaders!   If you like this sort of thing, the two Morning Sun books on tank cars are highly recommended.

Dave Nelson

[rrinker]

 Pretty neat. As you know, I love those older Type 103 cars.

Surely you're ridden on the OC&T which takes you through Drake Wells - next time I may get off there to check out the museum. When I rode it was a true mixed train - we had a couple of coaches plus the open car, and a couple of covered hoppers on the tail end that we set out before heading back. Going back, the open car, where I was most of the time, was right behind the engine, an Alco, but a Canadian MLW built one.

                        --Randy

 

[tstage]

For those interested in tank car history and development: I just stumbled across this Power Point presentation put out by UTLX.

http://utlx.com/pdf/TankCarHistory.pdf

Albeit brief - it contains interesting info and period pics about this unique car, as well as the history of the Union Tank Car Co. itself.  Enjoy!

Tom