Tankcar prototype wanted

[nkalanaga]

This is an ancient Model Power(?) tank on a MT frame, still very much a work in progress. 


Does anyone know of a similar prototype, preferably running in the late 60s or early 70s?

Failing that, can anyone tell me the AAR type code for a similar car?  That would at least give me a start on narrowing my search.

It's very hard to search picture sites when there are 10,000 tankcar pictures, all seemingly different, and the only way to find a particular one is to look at every image...

Thank you

[sirenwerks]

There's a pic of an Ethyl Corp (EBAX) car 6258 on page 60 of V1 of the Morning Sun Tank Car CG that looks about the same proportions.  It was built by ACF in 1956.  The photo's from '69 and the car looks recently repainted.  It's classified ICC105A300W.  The narrative states it's a 6K gallon car assembled from lot 02-4679.

The Model Power cars have such bulbous ends it's hard to find a match for.  Tone that down with a file and add insulation, or slap two cars together to add length, and the number of potential prototypes jumps through the roof.

If you haven't already, check out the very early two-part article on detailing N scale tank cars from N Scale magazine.

[sd45elect2000]

There's a pic of an Ethyl Corp (EBAX) car 6258 on page 60 of V1 of the Morning Sun Tank Car CG that looks about the same proportions.  It was built by ACF in 1956.  The photo's from '69 and the car looks recently repainted.  It's classified ICC105A300W.  The narrative states it's a 6K gallon car assembled from lot 02-4679.

The Model Power cars have such bulbous ends it's hard to find a match for.  Tone that down with a file and add insulation, or slap two cars together to add length, and the number of potential prototypes jumps through the roof.

If you haven't already, check out the very early two-part article on detailing N scale tank cars from N Scale magazine.

I have to disagree. I think that tank is way too big to be a 6000 gallon car. If you compare it to the IM 8000 or the Bachmann 10,000 or even the Atlas 11,000 gallon tank this car is much bigger in diameter leading me to believe that its either out of scale or a total foob. I do agree that lengthening the car would probably make it fit in the 27,000 gallon class like stated above.

[sirenwerks]

Note that I stated the narrative said it was a 6K car.  Your best bet is to directly disagree with the publisher, not me.

[sd45elect2000]

Note that I stated the narrative said it was a 6K car.  Your best bet is to directly disagree with the publisher, not me.

Sorry , I pushed the wrong quote button.

I've been looking for some different tank cars for my 1950 fleet trying lots of combinations of cars and one of them is in fact the 6000 gallon car. Obviously if its in a train with 8000-10000 and 11000 gallon cars its gotta be smaller I would think.

I've been using Intermountain tank car frames for my conversions . I have mounted the Bachmann 10k cars on the IM frames and they look pretty good. I also cut and pasted some IM cars to make some 2 dome cars that are about 7000 gallon. Wracking my brains how to get some different capacity tanks and different dome arrangements.

[sirenwerks]

There were drawings of a 4K car floating on the internet which I saved for later use - http://www.ipernity.com/doc/sirenwerks/32390677

I don't know what original source they came from.  I found the image during a search and threw it onto my Ipernity account, which I usually keep locked up.  But I'll leave the image downloadable for a week or so for everyone to grab it and then lock it back up.

[nkalanaga]

Thank you, everybody.

I measured the tank itself, and allowing for shell thickness (unknown, but a couple inches +) it should be about a 12,000 gallon tank.  I put a set of Gold Medal Models "Atlas Beercan" railings and ladders on it and, with BLMA trucks, the top of the railings are just under 15 feet above the rail, so it's a nice Plate B (unrestricted interchange) car.  The tank itself, outside, scales to about 104 inches, which seems to be a common size.  Both the GN and NP had tanks that diameter, although the cars themselves were different styles.

The main reason I wanted pictures was to decide if it needed tie-down straps, and if so, what type.  Some insulated cars don't seem to have them, but I haven't found an uninsulated car of that era without some type of band or rod around the tank at the bolster.

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  Here is another very small tanker for you, 4K gallon car similar to your plans:

[peteski]

Sirenwerks:  Here is another very small tanker for you, 4K gallon car similar to your plans:

That is just so cute!  MT should make these, just for the cute factor alone.  They could decorate it for eggnog at Christmas time. 

[pjm20]

Sirenwerks:  Here is another very small tanker for you, 4K gallon car similar to your plans:

I didn't know Ebay had a leasing fleet. 

[thomasjmdavis]

There were (still are, I think) several bromine mines in western Michigan that used to use very small tank cars (nowadays, covered hoppers- or at least that is what you see in the trains coming from the plant).  Bromine is very heavy per gallon compared to water or petroleum products, so they utilized smaller capacity tank cars designed for the higher density.  There was an article in one of the model rr magazines years ago, but I could not tell you which one.  Might be the original source of the drawing.  Maybe start with the tank from a Z scale car?
Tom D.

[nkalanaga]

I'll post pictures of my car when the BLMA trucks arrive, although lettering is still undecided.  For now, how about another oddity.  This looks very much like the cars used on the D&RGW narrow gauge, which were originally standard gauge, built from 1908 to 1912.  The oldest were in the 583xx and 584xx series.  If this is one of those, it's well over the "40 year limit", and since the narrow gauge was shut down in 1968, these could be the last survivors.  Jim Sands photo, Marshalltown, Iowa, 1969.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=72875

[sd45elect2000]

I want some of those!

When you look at what was running back then you realize just how limited we are in our tank car selections available in N scale. I don't know if these were narrow gauge at one time or not but I do know that they weren't all that rare. The ACF type 7 1907 high walkway cars are another missing piece in the puzzle.

[bnsfdash8]

Sirenwerks:  Here is another very small tanker for you, 4K gallon car similar to your plans:

Anyone know the dimensions on these?

[ljudice]

Link to MR article reference:

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=14004