I love tank cars. My dream train is a tank car unit train. Recently I bought a Gulf tanker made by Williams (in a silver box, brand new, shrink wrapped). I was rather disappointed upon opening it. It had no heft to it. Turning it updide down I realized why. It wasn't that it had a plastic, as opposed to metal bottom. Rather, it had a thin piece of plastic running the length of the car. Think of a catwalk. I don't know if this is protypical, but it can't be good for the way the car tracks. I was disappointed as Williams seemed like an affordable way to build up my fleet. I was also suprised as I also opened up one of their N5C cabooses (in the red crown edition box) and it felt like a brick. Supriseingly heavy for such a small unit.
OK, so from an operational point what/which is your favorite tank car? Why?
Almost forgot. Mine would be the K-Line tankers with the diecast chasis. They just seem to track beautifully.

8,000 gallon Atlas tankers. Preferably black and heavily weathered. I to prefer the diecast chassis. I have some earlier Intermountain cars before Atlas bought the design. They are actually heavier than the Atlas cars althouigh they are plastic. A lot more fragile and adding Kadee's was a chore but I already owned them and they mix well with the Atlas cars but tend to ride a little higher.
I presently model the WW2 era and long strings of these cars were often seen.

I also love the Atlas tank cars. If they do another Wolf's Head run, I'm in for one of every road number. I have the 8 they already did, and they look great in a consist!

Andy

I'm partial to the Atlas O 11,000 tank cars for the steam and early diesel era, particularly the cars with the platforms and railings. I see a lot of these behind steam in my N&W videos. For the modern era I like those 33K tank cars.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ChessieMan,

Also for the modern era and to break out of the "tank car mold", you can't beat the GATX Tank Train from Lionel! The original two three packs and two separate add on cars plus the SP oilcan set! makes a realistic 16 car train! And now the NS tank train with the all white logo and the 3 pack plus separate sale car!

these cars look just like the 1:1 and you can attach the hose between the cars!

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rokQinu49Lk/RjNWuEeHcBI/AAAAAAAAA...MuCBKFI/IMG_3569.JPG

if you are into the O27 size cars then K-Line made some nice tankers with cast chassis and a nice detail level.

I like 'em BIG, and rusty. Good heft on this whale:

As to the question of performance, Bren, I think it's K-Line's tankers w/ die-cast chasses and sprung metal trucks; good heft for tracking, and the rolling resistance is negligible. They just glide into and around O-27 curves.

PRRHORSESHOECURVE, I also likr the Lionel TT cars but I like all of them including the CIBRO and the CN as well as the GATX that you posted.

I second the motion,BIG 33K.

John -

My favorites are the 11,000 gallon models from Atlas. I have Gulf and a pair of the PPG Industries custom run from Deichman's Depot.

In the final years of KLine, I got hooked on their extruded aluminum tankers... might be the ones you mention. I have DuPont, Englehard, Sunoco, Union Carbide (Bakelite), Citgo and Hooker. Like them a lot.

Both the Atlas and KLine models run/track well.

Of course, I have a bunch of the old Lionel PW's from my childhood... mostly the ubiquitous Sunoco.

- Darren

I like the old 1947 to 1950 metal Lionel single-dome tank cars, but they are hard to find in reasonably good condition AND reasonably priced. And of course they only originally come in two different car numbers, for those who care about that.

I like the Hooker Chemical cars. They have some heft. Also, the KLine State Quarter tank cars are pretty beefy too. I was really surprised at the first one I purchased.

I'm the same - hence me pre-ordering the NS legacy tank train set - anyone else here done the same thing? Can't wait to receive mine

Tom

Any atlas O tankers at all. ALL atlas cars are beautiful and run perfectly.


PS. not to change the subject, but DaveC, your layout looks great. can we see some more pictures?

I like the Atlas 8,000 and 11,000 gallon cars, and although I don’t have any layout on which to run them yet, I have seven of them, all 2-rail. There is only one example of each at present, but the common theme to them all is that they worked out of the Oklahoma oilfield.

I wanted another variation on the Warren cars, so I bought a Red Caboose 10,000 gallon car.

However, I was very disappointed with the quality of that car. I thought the major draw-back was the fact that it didn’t have a die-cast platform, and my experience was similar to that of Dave C. While I was fitting the Kadee couplers, over which, before you ask, I took great care, bits and pieces were falling off the car in jig-time. There is no place on those cars to get hold of them; they are just too delicate with the all-plastic construction.

If anyone knows of a suitable platform from another manufacturer that I could substitute, I’d be pleased to hear from them. It is a pity to have to report such an experience, and it is in no way meant to be “manufacturer bashing”, but until I hear otherwise, I will not be buying any more of them.

My layout is 2-rail, and set in the early 1950’s. Does anybody know of any good scale tank cars, other than Atlas, that would be worth me converting to 2-rail?

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by paul m.:
I like the old 1947 to 1950 metal Lionel single-dome tank cars, but they are hard to find in reasonably good condition AND reasonably priced. And of course they only originally come in two different car numbers, for those who care about that.

Those old Lionel tankers you describe are my favorites as well. I started with a 2555 Sunoco tanker without the oil and gas in the Sunoco diamond and kept collecting until I had six total. You can sometimes find a junker 6555 on Ebay for a low price and fix it up to whatever tanker name you want. I did that and made it into the rare black 2855 Sunoco tanker.

Are the MTH cars any good? Is there a difference in the "heft" factor between the RK and the Premier lines? How do they track?

My favorite tank cars are the Atlas O corn syrup tankers, followed by their 17,360 gallon 50' cars. They are extremely accurate and look perfect in all regards. They make several road names as well- and worth the price they cost. You really get what you pay for here-

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff78rr:
My favorite tank cars are the Atlas O corn syrup tankers, followed by their 17,360 gallon 50' cars. They are extremely accurate and look perfect in all regards. They make several road names as well- and worth the price they cost. You really get what you pay for here-

Jeff,

I agree with you.

I like the Atlas 17,600 Gallon Trinity Corn Syrup Tank Cars.



GP

The Lionel TankTrain Tank Cars have the best rolling trucks.


The K-Line Aluminum Body Tank Cars have the best weight density.


Andrew

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff78rr:
My favorite tank cars are the Atlas O corn syrup tankers, followed by their 17,360 gallon 50' cars. They are extremely accurate and look perfect in all regards. They make several road names as well- and worth the price they cost. You really get what you pay for here-

On the modern side, I really like the Atlas O ACF 17,360 tank cars.

quote:

Originally posted by prrhorseshoecurve:
Also for the modern era and to break out of the "tank car mold", you can't beat the GATX Tank Train from Lionel! The original two three packs and two separate add on cars plus the SP oilcan set! makes a realistic 16 car train! And now the NS tank train with the all white logo and the 3 pack plus separate sale car!

Is there really a seperate car for the NS tank train? All I can find is the set, the dummy and the additional 3 car pack.

If the key words are "performance wise" then my choice is K-Line.

That goes for the classic line with diecast chassis or aluminum unibodies. They are rugged, heavy duty, track real good and there's nothing much to break. Kids can play with them. They are colorful and very good looking. The tops open on the classic line. Those came in single, double and triple dome.

I also like the K-L couplers and trucks. They were built on the "keep it simple" principle. I know the couplers don't always couple up well to other brands, but they couple up to each other extremely easy and better than any other brand I know of. When it's K-Line cars to other K-Line there's not any slamming them together needed. They also kept the coupler shank or stem short so that the back of the coupler was almost under the body. Their O Gauge couplers are not real noticeable or objectionable because of that.

I also like their wheel sets. Spin the wheels and they keep spinning, on and on.

Wish they stayed in business.

Darren, I have the ones you mentioned plus the Ethyl, Domino, ADM and Cargill. I also had some others on order at the end I never received - BASF, Nature's Best, Reclying and Cardox. Did you get both the Hookers? There were two small unibodies plus a third Hooker in the classic line.

Ginsaw -

I only got one Hooker, the # K6341-8011, road number 5899.

I, too, tried to get some others (like Cargill) but couldn't.

They will no doubt pop up on eBay now and then.

- Darren

quote:

Are the MTH cars any good? Is there a difference in the "heft" factor between the RK and the Premier lines? How do they track?

IMHO, RKs as a rule don't track badly, exc. for those with plastic bodies & frames (which were earlier releases) on tight curves, thru switches, or backing up. I also believe they'd stringline if given the right circumstance. At some point, MTH started issuing RK tankers w/ metal frames; these stay put better. I can't comment on Premeir as I only have one or two.