Hello All,
Does anyone know or have access to the dimensions of the Shorty or “Beer Can” tanker car?
I’m scratch building some and would like to know the length and height or diameter of the vessile (tank) in scale or actual measurements.
Any info is greatly appreciated.
I expect the simplest thing is to find an Athearn model.
It’s been awhile since they made them.
Since you’re building several, you can stretch the expense over several models.
It sounds like you’re doing them in not-HO scale.
Ed
Walthers also had a beer can tank car kit (and no I do not refer to their tongue in cheek model with an actual beer can) - it is listed as a 30’ funnel flow and the actual tank itself is 24 scale feet long.
I suggest you find the February 1977 issue of MR which has an article by Jerry Pitts about kitbashing a beer can tank car using full length tank cars cut down. Pitts says the beer can tank cars varied between 23 to 29 feet. He used the AHM 50 foot heated tank car model because like the beer can tank cars, it lacks a center sill and has no side walkways. He cut scale 11’3" from each end of the tank . The end result was a nice looking car although I would have gone further and replaced the plastic end railings with wire. There is no prototype drawing with the article so you’d be modeling off a model which I know some guys do not approve of. But any port in a storm.
Dave Nelson
Hello All,
Sorry for the confusion but I will be building them in HO.
The reason for scratch building is to avoid the expense of purchasing a RTR.
Again, I apologize for the confusion.
Hope this helps.
If you frequent train shows or ebay, you can probably buy a pre-Athearn Roundhouse shorty tank car for 10 to 12 dollars. Here are two examples:
And if you want to have a nice starting point, here is a pair of cars which appears to include a shorty for 99 cents. Need work, however.
Unless you have boxes of trucks, couplers and detail parts already, it won’t be cheaper than the ones on eBay. And won’t look as good, no offense.
RT
Hello All,
Thank you for all your suggestions, recommendations and support.
I prefer to scratch build my rolling stock out of items I’ve found. I build my frames out of wooden stir sticks and regular and jumbo size hobby sticks; ice cream and tongue depressor size, found at most big box home improvement centers.
For the tanks I use various sizes of PVC pipe with styrene ends. If I need rounded ends I use spent CO2 cartridges of various sizes. I also fabricate loads out of pieces of the same PVC pipe and CO2 cartriges.
For car weights I got a piece of flat rolled steel; 3/16"x3/4"x36" and cut it to the specific length and weight I need. To fine tune the weight of the cars; to NMRA specs, I use BB’s. For the tankers I just put them in loose. For other forms of rolling stock I suspend them in two-part epoxy.
A while back I picked up a box of miscellaneous rolling stock detailing parts for $10.00. So I do have an ample supply. I buy my couplers in bulk and from the rolling stock I have refurbished I do have an excess of trucks that I’ve already paid for.
With these items I have managed to scratch build box-, flat- and tanker-cars along with gondolas.
In addition to the satisfaction I get from scratch building my rolling stock I can customize any car from the ground up rather than kit bashing.
When I enter these in contests, if the score is sufficient, the credits go to my NMRA Achievement Program.
Hope this helps.
Today real scratchbuilding from basic materials and found items is almost a “lost art”. Many impressive models have been made that way.
Have you posted any photos?
I think we’d all be interested in your contest quality models built from those materials. Please post some photos so that we may learn from your techniques.
RT