lone geepthey also appear to have a larger diameter than an average tank car, which makes me wonder if they're supposed to represent an insulated car
Have you measured the diameter and compared to published drawings? To me they don't look all that oversized. Unfortunately I have a spotty collection of Car Builder's Cyclopedias. 1966's shows a Shippers Car Line 10,633 gallon liquid chlorine car of similar tank heft, and a UTLX 10,000 gallon "UNItemp" car (similar to the AHM tank car) which if anything looks even "fatter."
Going back to the 1937 'Cyc," there is an interest drawing of an insulated tank car that came in 8000 and 10,000 gallon versions. The INSIDE diameter of the inner tank (meaning the thick insulation and its outer shell was larger than this) was 78" for the 8000 gal and 87 1/4" for the 10,000 gal. Unfortunately they do not give outside overall diameters. But it gives you a feel for size increases as you add just 2000 gallons more capacity all other things being equal.
Another "fat" tank car in the 1937 Cyc is a 16,200 gallon capacity Santa Fe tank car.
Before you discard potentially interesting cars try to do a bit more research. My sense has long been that the variety of tanks cars we have had models of is somewhat restricted compared to other cars and perhaps we get a skewed notion of what is prototypical as a result.
Dave Nelson
Not too sure if these are the prototype for your cars, but this does refer to the change from riveted tank cars to welded. Hope it helps. https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/general-american-8000-gallon-acid-welded-tank-car/ Cheers, the Bear.
Thanks for the link Bear! They look like they could be welded tanks but they also appear to have a larger diameter than an average tank car, which makes me wonder if they're supposed to represent an insulated car, but than again, it could be just a larger tank as well.
Lone Geep
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I'm just wondering if there are real life prototypes of these cars that IHC modelled them after since they don't appear to be an average tank car. I'm considering getting rid of them but if the prototype existed in my time frame, I would keep them for a kitbashing project.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
fyi tank cars ar not classed by how long they were but by what they hold 8,000 10,00 ect.
Look on the bottom, in the center sill, if they have "Tempo" in the casting, I have a bunch I collected from Ebay, in hopes of turning this into a "modern" tank car.
It didn't work out, to much "kit bashing" involved for what you end up with. I bought the MDC 50' tankers instead. More detail options available.
I have about a dozen? if you want them, PM me.
Mike.
My You Tube
Sold by Loblaw Companies Limited. of Canada at their supermarkets Set with tankcars made by IHC
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
I got these tank cars from a President's Choice train set that I got and I was wondering what type these were. To me they seem a bit larger than a normal 40 foot tank car and do not have any rivet detail so it appears that they are a special insulated tank or something like that. Does anyone have any more info on these cars?