Tank Cars seem to be a very popular discussion topic lately.
I have been touting the John W. Barriger III Library now and then and just last night more photos were added to the American Car & Foundry album. This particular album is a trove of fascinating photos with many tank cars depicted.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/albums/72157649155982802
One car stood out to me as I have a 38 year relationship with the consignee of this particular car:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/24794887695/in/album-72157649155982802/
The curious thing about this car is the unique rectangular hatches flanking the dome, the interesting outlet valves and the lack of rivet lines that would have divided the tank chambers.
A model of this would surely be on my want list! I wonder what the color scheme was? My guess is battleship gray and black but maybe not.
Regards, Ed
I would imagine that a Proto 2000 8K/10K gal tank car outfitted with some scratch-built hatches might do as a stand-in?
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
gmpullmanThe curious thing about this car is the unique rectangular hatches flanking the dome
Are they really rectangular, or are we looking at the hinge assembly? If rectangular I'd expect to see more than two bolt assemblies. The hatch/lid/cover on the dome definitely has more than two bolts sticking up.
gmpullmanI have a 38 year relationship with the consignee of this particular car
Another GE guy? I worked for them 34 years and left when they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I worked with the steam turbine/generators.
maxmanAnother GE guy?
Yep! Took the job 38 years ago until something better comes along. That "something better" will be retirement in 198 days! I helped to make 3 million miles of tungsten wire a year... no more
I'd stake my reputation on those four hatches being rectangular. I agree that the dome hatch is circular. I would guess that there is a valve/pipe fitting inside the rectangular hatch.
I agree with you, Tom, about the Proto/Life-Like cars as a starting point. The decal work would be my sticking point. I'm spoiled by the lettering that the commercial model manufacturers are making these days!
Here's another photo of a GE Incandescent Lamp Department car I'd sure like to see:
This is a crop of a 1936 photo taken at the plant where I work. I'll bet those cars were colorful! Back then GE was using Yellow/Blue/Orange schemes. I know Bowser did several varieties of covered hoppers (used for carrying silica sand for the glass plants) but these hoppers would sure be a nice addition.
Happy Modeling, Ed
Flickr seems to want to demand the unacceptable, so if the tank car photo can be larger than little, it's not happening here.
That declared, I will speculate that something powdery or granular was transported in the tank. And that the squarish hatches are for topping up the car. I've seen a couple of tank cars that didn't haul liquids. My favorite is an SP&S company sand car.
Ed
7j43kI will speculate that something powdery or granular was transported in the tank.
That is quite possible seeing that the outlets are, oddly, to the side of the centerline of the tank and the valves are "butterfly" type. With only the photo to go by, much is speculation. My ORER only goes back to 1954, I'll see if there's anything there.
From ORER January 1939:
Incandescent Lamp Department of General Electric Co.
Reporting Marks--"I. L. D. X."
Tank...numbered 103 to 109 inclusive, and 111 to 113 inclusive, capacity 8,050 gallons, 100,000 pounds.
Coal, steel, hopper bottom...numbered 200 to 211 inclusive...capacity 1,659 cu. ft., 100,000 pounds.
Total, 22 cars.
....send bills for repairs...for tank cars to Pitney Glass Works, 1133 East 152nd St., Cleveland, O....coal cars to Cleveland Wire Works of General Electric Co., Euclid, O.
July, 1937
Note that there's a bit of abridging above, but I think I've got the important stuff.
I've gotta suspect that GE wanted a tight car for high quality sand. And the tank car was the most cost-effective solution. I wonder how many non-liquid tank cars there were/are.
gmpullman....A model of this would surely be on my want list! I wonder what the color scheme was? My guess is battleship gray and black but maybe not.
Based on the reflections showing in the lighter portions of the tank, I'd guess it to be silver and black.
7j43kFlickr seems to want to demand the unacceptable, so if the tank car photo can be larger than little, it's not happening here.
Simply clicking on the photo in the second link gives a larger-than-screen-sized image, and it reveals five angled outlets protruding from the lower portion of the tank.
Wayne
I found a kupla more:
Caption from the 1922 Car Builders Cyclopedia, Figure 303:
"Steel Tank Car for Dry Powder, Loaded Through Three Domes, Unloaded Through Six Discharge Hoppers. Builder, General American Tank Car Corporation."
The car is CYX 102, lettered For American Cyanamic Company. The "discharge hoppers" are really 12" holes in the tank down near the center sill. With covers. The domes are pretty big and tall.
The other one is from the 1937 Cyclopedia. Figures 450-453. Caption:
"'Dry-Flo' Tank Car for Handling Dry Bulk Commodities. Unloaded by Motor-Driven Drag-Chain Conveyors. General American Tank Car Corporation."
It's got those extra hatches along the top, but there's only one central discharge hopper. You can barely see it in the center sill. The car is GATX 33000, and is lettered as a demo. The weird part is that the conveyor belts go out the top ends of the car and back in the bottom end (one set in each half of the car). HOW do you keep that opening sealed????
doctorwayneSimply clicking on the photo in the second link gives a larger-than-screen-sized image...
Not when I do it.
They insist I "update my browser". I have an assortment of browsers. As far as I can see, there are no updates for OS 10.5. Which means I need a new operating system. And since "people who know things" told me NEVER to change an operating system on a computer, that means I must buy a new computer to look at the picture.
Or. So it appears to me.
There IS a tinge of crabbiness in my tone. It is NOT directed to anyone here. Except for that one guy two years ago who............
7j43kcoal cars to Cleveland Wire Works of General Electric Co., Euclid, O.
I thought that sounded familiar...
Still in business... since 1918!
Thanks, Ed
An interesting car indeed (and website). I admit to being a tank car nut.
In the Train Shed Cyclopedia No 12, reprinting part of the 1937 Car Builder's Cyclopedia, there is a photo showing a GATX "Dry flo" tank car with a central dome and then three smaller round (I assume) hatches on top on either side of the dome. There is a peculiar gate or hatch like opening, almost like a garage door, on both ends of the car! The text says "for handling dry bulk commodities. Unloaded by motor driven drag-chain conveyors." I assume the conveyor goes in the peculiar openings at the car ends, but the supplemental small hatches on the roof do resemble the arrangement on this GE Mazda lamp car. The photo shows a flexible tube in one of the six smaller top hatches, presumably loading dry commodities.
So I assume they are loading hatches. They seem way too small to be additional manholes for access to the interior, which you also sometimes see on some tank cars.
As for color it is always a trick judging from black and white photos (and some builders photos show cars specially painted to look good in the photo) but from the tone and shade I would guess a deep golden yellow or bronze color.
Dave Nelson
dknelson An interesting car indeed (and webside). I admit to being a tank car nut. In the Train Shed Cyclopedia No 12, reprinting part of the 1937 Car Builder's Cyclopedia, there is a photo showing a GATX "Dry flo" tank car with a central dome and then three smaller round (I assume) hatches on top on either side of the dome. There is a peculiar gate or hatch like opening, almost like a garage door, on both ends of the car! The text says "for handling dry bulk commodities. Unloaded by motor driven drag-chain conveyors." I assume the conveyor goes in the peculiar openings at the car ends, but the supplemental small hatches on the roof do resemble the arrangement on this GE Mazda lamp car. The photo shows a flexible tube in one of the six smaller top hatches, presumably loading dry commodities. So I assume they are loading hatches. They seem way to small to be additional manholes for access to the interior, which you also sometimes see on some tank cars. As for color it is always a trick judging from black and white photos (and some builders photos show cars specially painted to look good in the photo) but from the tone and shade I would guess a deep golden yellow or bronze color. Dave Nelson
An interesting car indeed (and webside). I admit to being a tank car nut.
So I assume they are loading hatches. They seem way to small to be additional manholes for access to the interior, which you also sometimes see on some tank cars.
That is the car I described earlier.
To be sure, there are similarities, but the Dry-Flow car has the obvious access doors cut into the ends and the "dome" is certainly larger to accommodate the motor and gearbox.
The roof hatches are round.
It looks like the conveyor has just been installed as an experimental tryout, the reporting marks haven't been re-stenciled yet.
Interesting,
7j43k doctorwayne Simply clicking on the photo in the second link gives a larger-than-screen-sized image... Not when I do it. They insist I "update my browser". I have an assortment of browsers. As far as I can see, there are no updates for OS 10.5. Which means I need a new operating system. And since "people who know things" told me NEVER to change an operating system on a computer, that means I must buy a new computer to look at the picture. Or. So it appears to me. There IS a tinge of crabbiness in my tone. It is NOT directed to anyone here. Except for that one guy two years ago who............ Ed
doctorwayne Simply clicking on the photo in the second link gives a larger-than-screen-sized image...
Never change the OS? That's absolute silliness. You need better computer people. Unless your Mac is a pre-Intel one, in which case you are LONG overdue for an upgrade to a new system, because 10.5 is the last version that will run on that old hardware.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I'd suspect this car may have been an experiment, to see if it would work as well or better than a covered hopper - or maybe predating the covered hoppers given the date. Probably would have handled carbon black, if not silica sand for glassmaking. The covered hoppers lettered for GE Mazda Lamps usually handled carbon black.
rrinker Never change the OS? That's absolute silliness. You need better computer people. Unless your Mac is a pre-Intel one, in which case you are LONG overdue for an upgrade to a new system, because 10.5 is the last version that will run on that old hardware. --Randy
Then I think I'll do some more research. In particular, I think I'd like to keep the old OS "in storage" until I see the new one working. And get used to it.
maxmanAre they really rectangular, or are we looking at the hinge assembly? If rectangular I'd expect to see more than two bolt assemblies. The hatch/lid/cover on the dome definitely has more than two bolts sticking up.
They are square. I can clearly see 90 degree corners in enlarged photo. The hatch on the dome is round. That is why it looks different.
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.