Propane shipments use WHITE tank cars...
They are often painted white but it is not a requirement. You will see plenty of black tank cars placarded 1075.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=1006944
Somewhere in my photo archives I have picture of a very short (maybe 30') single-dome tank car with a SMALL diameter black tank lettered for Dow Chemical.
Probably the highest density commodity that used to be shipped by tank car was engine anti-knock additive for gasoline. Tetraethyl lead even sounds heavy.
The Ethyl Corporation uses the EBAX reporting mark. Several Ethyl Corporation tank cars have been made in O scale. I'd like to find one of the MTH modern 8,000 gal premier tank cars in the gray and green paint scheme. If you have a refinery or petroleum product blending facility on your layout it would fit your customers needs.
Of the O scale tank cars available today I would suggest a few standouts.
For 100 ton cars:
The Lionel ethanol tank cars are excellent models.
Both the Atlas and MTH funnel flow tank cars are very well detailed models. If you have a food or beverage facility on your layout they are perfect for corn syrup service.
The Atlas chlorine and propane tank cars are excellent. The MTH 33,000 gal premier propane tank car is accurately proportioned and offers a lower priced/less finely detailed alternative to the Atlas car.
For 50 ton cars:
The Atlas and Lionel 8,000 gallon tank cars are both nice models. The Atlas car is better weighted.
The Atlas 11,000 gallon tank car is a wonderful model of a pressurized tank car for hauling liquified gasses. They are ideally sized for chlorine but were used for anhydrous ammonia and propane too. If you have a chemical plant, fuel dealer or fertilizer dealer on your layout these cars will fit right in.
The MTH Railking tank car also deserves honorable mention. It is a nice model and reasonably priced.
