I was wondering several things about these tank cars recently released by Athearn. Did Bakers Chocate and Canada Starch actually use tank cars, what years would they have used them and are the paint schemes somewhat accurate. When did Pfizer use blue tank cars? Thanks
The Canada Starch cars are definately based on a real car, but the body style doesn't quite match (of course).
Here's a former Canada Starch car:
http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=osrx39&o=osrx
10 of these cars, CSTX 33-42 were built in 1968 and in service at least into the mid-1980s.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
The Canada Starch cars, of course, would be used for Corn Syrup or vegetable oils.
Today Canada Starch (CaSCo.) leased cars from GATX, Procor, Crystal Car Lines etc.
http://freight.railfan.ca/casco.html
Hi Chris...Thank you so much for the info and the photos. I will pass on Canada Starch as my era stops a few years before 1968.Your time and effort is appreciated. Enjoy your day.
MelchoirI was wondering several things about these tank cars recently released by Athearn. Did Bakers Chocate and Canada Starch actually use tank cars, what years would they have used them and are the paint schemes somewhat accurate. When did Pfizer use blue tank cars? Thanks
What reporting marks are on the models? It is likely that the cars you're looking at were leased rather than owned by Bakers, etc. Take a look at a website such as http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/railroadList1.aspx?tid=4 and search by reporting mark. Maybe you;ll get lucky and find that Athearn used a real car as their subject.
Looks like Al is visiting again.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
Although seemingly improbable HO models, the colorful, circa 1950's-60's, "Baker Chocolate/Walter Baker Chocolate and Cocoa" tank cars were indeed real. At least two (possibly more) existed, being numbered GATX 31057 and 31058. In addition, River Raisin Models (maker of HO brass models) issued a steel milk car lettered "Baker Chocolate/Liquid Cholcolate Service" numbered GPEX 987, which also probably represented a real car.
CNJ831
Yes, the Baker's Chocolate tank cars were real. There are a couple photos that I've seen, one is even in color. A friend of mine actually managed to snag the real Painting & Lettering diagram from Baker's. Our club was going to do a custom run of these cars to raise money, but Athearn beat us to the punch.
The Athearn HO car is mostly accurate. The Atlas O version is probably the most accurate paint job I've seen, with the silver ends that are lacking on the Athearn HO version, etc. The only problem is that the real cars did not have the tall dome like all the models have (which are based on non-food tank cars). So if you want to make it more accurate, saw off the dome almost flush with the top of the tank, then put the hatch on.IIRC, the photos that I can recall of the real cars were in a book and in a magazine. The paperback book was about freight cars of the Northeast or something like that, and the Baker's car was on the cover in color. The magazine article was in the NHRHTA's "Shoreliner" about the on-line Baker's Chocolate plant.
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************