Athearn tank car GATX question

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hi All

I managed to find a tank car by Athearn 73693 triple dome tank car GATX 542 black paint scheme gold yellow lettering/numbering .can someone please tell me for what time period is this car prototopical?

thanks very much for your re4ply

stefano

2

GATX was the sucessor to the German Tank Lines, the name switch occured during WW I for obvious reasons. If my memory serves me, this car best represents one constructed just before WW II, although liberties were taken by Athearn. As painted and lettered it is suitable for service well into 1960’s when age and a series of spectacular tank car mishaps forced a movement toward improved vessel containment.

Dave

3

Hi Dave

thanks for your reply

would you think this car is prototopical from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s?[ as this is my modeling time period]

thanks

stefano

4

If I’m remembering this right, the Athearn triple-dome tank is a fictitious car, not really protytpical for anything.

5

The lettering looks like what I’d expect from the sixties or later. I believe the Athearn tank car is kind of “generic” but there were two or three dome tank cars, but they weren’t too common. The car would have separated areas so you could put in say three different types of petroleum products etc.

The model should have a built date like “BLT 2-57” and either an initial new weigh date (“NEW 5-57”) or a re-weigh date (“CHI 4-38” etc.) that should tell you when the car was supposed to have been built and when it was most recently reweighed and perhaps repaired / repainted.

6

WP and Wjstix

thanks very much for your reply

regards

stefano