ESM tank car question - Bryan or other experts

[nkalanaga]

This is one of ESM's models from 20+ years ago.  The stenciling says it's an "ICC 103 W", which I doubt, and that the safety valves were tested to 25 lbs when built in 1967.



My question is:  What would be the proper class for this car?  I haven't been able to find any photos of UTLX 533xx cars online, so that's no help.

No, I'm not going to try to change the stenciling.  It's very clearly printed, but I need a magnifier to read it, so it's unlikely that anyone could read it on the layout.  Matching the color and font would difficult, if not impossible, and a mismatch would be more obvious than the wrong lettering is.  What got me wondering about it was that I added placard holders to mine, and I'm trying to decide what to haul in it.  Chlorine seems to be the most likely choice, as it can be used almost anywhere.

[bbussey]

David,

You can see a photo of the phototype HERE in the ESM Facebook photo albums.  The large original photo probably still is in the archives, but I'd have to hunt for it.  My best suggestion is to review one of the tank car summary sections in an ORER so see what commodities are appropriate for ICC 103 W.
 

[wcfn100]

Tank cars are so tough because there are so many and they just get lumped together.

All I can say (without a lot of certainty), is chlorine probably isn't a good choice the way the car is marked up (103 W and car number).

The codes in the AC&F tank car book give the class 105 for chlorine, and general AAR designation for a tank that can carry chlorine is TP.  If you can assume that this car is similar since it's in the same number series from the ORER, it's AAR designation is TM or general purpose or probably not for carrying compressed gas.

But again, tank cars are a pain and I could be way off.


Jason

[wcfn100]

David,

You can see a photo of the phototype HERE in the ESM Facebook photo albums.  The large original photo probably still is in the archives, but I'd have to hunt for it.  My best suggestion is to review one of the tank car summary sections in an ORER so see what commodities are appropriate for ICC 103 W.

Yeah, that's why I hate tank cars.  As long as the gallon capy is the same you can end up with a bunch of different cars in the same number series.

And 103 W cars can carry a ton of stuff.  Good for almost any oil (coconut, fish, vegetable, soybean, etc..), or molasses is a good one.  And a ton of other liquids that I don't know what they are. 


Jason

[nkalanaga]

Bryan:  Thank you for the link to the prototype, and yes, that's what I've always thought of as an ICC 103, a non-pressure car with a large dome.  So, it looks like the model is lettered properly, but has the wrong dome/manway. 

Jason:  The thing is, I don't think the model IS an ICC 103, and since the data can't be read except with a magnifier, I'm wondering what its class should be.  I do know that the MT and Intermountain standard tank cars are 103s, and this does look more like a chemical car.  An ICC 105 sounds reasonable, and Google Images turned up others that look similar (after looking through what seems like 90%+ model pictures!), so I'll assume that's what it is.   Thank you!

Unfortunately, I don't have any ORER or tank car books, so can't look it up there.  With the only industries on my layout needing a steady supply of tank cars being fuel-related, I have a lot of 103s and similar cars.

Interesting.  Now I have to decide what kind of car I want to consider it!

Off topic:  I wish someone made an etched brass platform/railing for the MT tank car.  It would also be handy for that Rivarossi car, as I found years ago that the railings tend to get brittle with age.  Of course, it would take two different etchings, as the tank and dome diameters are different.  I'd think the MT version, at least, would sell fairly well, as many of them as have been sold.

[bbussey]

Scott Seekins wrote an excellent article for one of the magazines on adding the full platform to a Kadee/MTL tank.  He used the silver Barrett Division model for the article.  I believe it was in Model Railroading, but a search on TrainLife for Seekins should yield the answers quickly.

[nkalanaga]

At least on my system, TrainLife still doesn't work, as the page images don't show.  A text search on TrainLife in Model Railroading for Scott Seekins returned what looked like every issue, but searching the pages where the term supposedly appeared found nothing.  It appears that TrainLife is out of business.

I have some of the Model Railroading back issues, so it looks like I'll be digging through them next weekend.  Thank you for the suggestions.

I found a link to an N Scale Magazine article that MIGHT be the one, on Trains.com, but that's unavailable except to registered users.  I know I have that issue, though, so I'll also look it up next weekend.

[sirenwerks]

The proto pic looks more like the old Atlas full-domed insulated car.

[bbussey]

At least on my system, TrainLife still doesn't work, as the page images don't show.  A text search on TrainLife in Model Railroading for Scott Seekins returned what looked like every issue, but searching the pages where the term supposedly appeared found nothing.  It appears that TrainLife is out of business.

I have some of the Model Railroading back issues, so it looks like I'll be digging through them next weekend.  Thank you for the suggestions.

I found a link to an N Scale Magazine article that MIGHT be the one, on Trains.com, but that's unavailable except to registered users.  I know I have that issue, though, so I'll also look it up next weekend.

Seems the TrainLife site had a crash recently.  None of the magazine jpeg pages are rendering.

I found the article though.  N Scale Magazine, Mar/Apr 1991, page 20.  Farther back than I remembered.   

[peteski]

I found the article though.  N Scale Magazine, Mar/Apr 1991, page 20.  Farther back than I remembered.   

Time flies when you're having fun.  We're all getting old way too fast! 

[nkalanaga]

Thank you, everyone.  I have the magazine, but didn't go back quite far enough in my quick look.  The article I thought might be it was one on improving IM tank cars.

And a special thanks to John B, Administrator, who sent me a PDF of the entire Mar/Apr 1991 issue.  Much handier than digging through my closet full of magazine boxes!

[u18b]

N Scale Magazine CD-ROMs are a wonderful thing.

[nkalanaga]

Yes, they would be handier than a couple cubic feet of paper!

[JMaurer1]

If only the N Scale Magazine CD ROM's were a bit cheaper ($80 is a bit high) and up to date (latest one is Nov/Dec 2009).

What is needed is more sites like TrainLife (of course what is needed is TrainLife to be functional again first). I've tried to help them and even offered to scan missing issues and upload them but I've never gotten a single response. I heard that someone hacked and removed their files but that was months ago. I do hope that they get things back together as they are a great source of information.

[railnerd]

What is needed is more sites like TrainLife (of course what is needed is TrainLife to be functional again first). I've tried to help them and even offered to scan missing issues and upload them but I've never gotten a single response. I heard that someone hacked and removed their files but that was months ago. I do hope that they get things back together as they are a great source of information.

Were they hacked, or was it a DMCA takedown?   Copyright laws are pretty strict, and perhaps some of their older content was actually owned by someone?

-Dave