Hi, does anyone know if there are any of these tank cars from 1954-56 available as either ready to roll, or in kit form? They have no under frame, tank bands or expansion dome. They still had running boards up until 1961 apparently, although the original design had done away with them (an ICC ruling).
Cheers, Bill
I don’t know of any kits, but I was intrigued by the description and ended up finding this rather interesting PDF presentation about the history of UTLX, which does include an image and short blurb about the “Hot Dog Car” (frameless tank car) on page 27. At first glance, looks like you could cobble one together using the old MDC/new Athearn generic 50ft tank car, and the gangway platform from an Athearn Chemical tankcar.
Note, on page 12 & 13 - frameless tank-cars in 1901! Apparently shippers and railroad guys were freaked (or the 1901 equivalent) by the concept, and so the idea of frameless tank-cars in the US was put on hold for over 50 more years.
BTW, I had forgotten all about the Geodesic Dome repair shop that Union Tank constructed down in Louisiana (page 25-26). The image I had seen in a long ago Railway Age magazine had old-style short (40ft?) black framed tank-cars arrayed around this “future-50s” (what 1950s visionaries envisoned the future would be like) shiney white dome for maximum contrast.
For the OP - plate 26 is great - the repair Dome, a 3/4 view of a Hog-Dog car on the track into the dome, and an old school track-mobile moving the tank car in back!
The basic design was a Van Dyke car, but the riveted construction methods allowed the saddle/bolster to lwar out the rivet holes… Years later UTLX, fixed the design issue with welded construction.
Jim
True, more Van Dyke cars weren’t produced after a number went into service. However, they remained in use and were even adapted to narrowgauge.
I came back into this thread to see if the OP had his question answered, and I noticed that this message board must have significant problems with posters who disparaged lesbians.
So, how can we discuss the old Dyke Lumber company on the NJ Northern Branch?
Or discuss mustache/goatee combo facial hair styles like the Van Dyke?
Or, for that matter, that fine Flemish painter Anthony Van Dyke?
Watching TVLand, I thought Mary Tyler Moore was really cute when she starred on the Dick Van Dyke show.
C’mon guys, update the filter…
PC gone nuts.
I originally found that PDF on the UTLX tank cars while doing a bit of research, which got me interested in that particular car which I thought would be ideal for my 1959 era layout. I currently have two only Proto 2000 Kanotex tank cars which I notice were built in 1927, and that the oil company that owned them went out of business before 1959. They are nice models but maybe I need to do some alterations to them to make them still relevant? I would still like to find something like that HD car though.
Cheers, Bill