Gatx Tank Train color schemes

Blue Streak:

I don't know just when Tank Train started but I do know they were running on the Grand Trunk Western in 1981. They ran solid unit trains of around 40 cars; all black with the orange lettering. The first block of cars were piped rearward, the second set piped forward, the third set piped rearward and the last set piped forward. 

I would watch them at Lapeer, eastbound one day and westbound the next. Presumably one direction was loads, the other empties. Since there were refineries in Sarnia (east) and Gary (west) it was hard to tell which directions were loads: maybe even both directions...

Neil

Neil,

Thanks.

Can anybody else help me on this subject. really want to no dates of the balck & white version and did they ever mix the tank train schemes?

Joe

I have the Lionel NS Dash 9 Tank train set, which I purchased at York, in Oct. of 2009. This set was in the Lionel Signature 2008 Volume 1 catalogue. I also have the 3 car add on set for the same train, same catalogue, which actually was available quite a bit earlier than the Train set itself, and I bought that set in Dec. of 2008. Both of these of course match and the lettering is the Black & White scheme.

Lionel offered a 3 car set with the White/Red/Black in their "Classic Trains" catalogue, Vol 2, in 2002, and another 3 car set in their 2004 catalogue "Classic Trains" Vol 2. So it looks like the Black/White version was first available in the 2008 catalogue.

Lionel also offered a single GATX tank car in their 2010 Catalogue, which was in the Black/White scheme, as well as single cars of the Red/White/Black, back in 2003. It doesn't appear that Lionel ever offered a combination of colour schemes at the same time. 

Hope this helps.

REV

I have never seen mixed sets of Tank Train schemes even with the subtle variations.

Since the Tank Cars are a limited production item, you will have to mix them.

Andrew

Lionel also offered the CIBRO Tank Train cars. They were a black car with an oval shaped logo of CIBRO. I think they were early 2000.s. Ot seems like the "OIL CAN" set with SP Engines were early 2000 ish and then maybe the Cibro cars(I don't remember a box set) and maybe the White CN TT in a box set and then some add on's, then the NS BLACK/WHITE add on's and then the NS Box set and now a reissue of the TT in the latest Lionel cat. If anyone remembers the sequence different please chime in 

Thanks Guys for the information. I decided to just stick with the Black tank car/White print version of the Gatx Tank Cars that I already had. So I ordered the single car from some time ago and two pack from this catalog. That will give me six cars. I will just have to wait out more cars or buy some more two packs. I guess nobody would figure it with the train moving.

Does anybody know the date of these cars being used (real life) The last photo from Pops above?

Thanks Joe

Joe, do you have the Lionel stock numbers for the tank cars you ordered?  Thanks.  Jim

Jim,

Here are the cars I have now

6-17983     GATX Tank Train 3-pack # 48550, 48615, 57011                                               

Here are the cars I have on order

6-27412     GATX Tank Train # 53782                                                                                        

6-29774     GATX Tank Train 2-pack # 48671, 57009

here is what they look like

Thanks very much Joe