K-Line Tank Cars Differences and Questions?

The metal platform on the Pacemaker tank car is a Lionel part.  The Pacemaker and Philips 66 tank cars are fantasy schemes.  Oil company tank cars weren't railroad owned.

The platform was added to tank cars by Lionel and Gilbert in the 1950s to create a "chemical" tank car that is distinct from an oil tank car.

@cbq9911a posted:

The metal platform on the Pacemaker tank car is a Lionel part.  The Pacemaker and Philips 66 tank cars are fantasy schemes.  Oil company tank cars weren't railroad owned.

I second that. All the K-Line tanks I have, have the wire handrails on the platform. The few Lionel did had no platform from Lionel in the box.

K-Line did essentially two types of single dome 8000 gallon cars. All had the same tank but some had plastic frames and some had the diecast fishbelly frames. All of mine have good diecast tricks and couplers. Diecast frame cars came with diecast placards and brake detail attached.

Plastic frame cars had those details in plastic bags to be installed by the purchaser. Look for them when buying. If not installed some sellers display the parts.

Pete

Thank you cbq9911a and Pete for the information.

All 3 cars were bought used in the last few months, I didn't realize the Pacemaker had the platform substituted (still learning about O).

After reading, will remove the platform from the cars, to be more prototypical.  The Phillips 66 Car is molded in black plastic (not painted) so I should be able to remove the "Santa Fe" lettering.

I like the look of the "Pacemaker Car", so it will stay sans platform, as they say "it's my railroad".

I have bought the missing Handwheel and Placards form Trainz just haven't installed yet.

BTW the new RMT tank cars use K-Line tanks but on their own somewhat simplified plastic frames. Hopefully they will get their trucks straightened out.

K-Line with a diecast frame.

K-Line with a plastic frame.

RMT tank car.

Pete

I always liked the K-Line tank cars, but not the look of the railing around the dome - it just looked too big to me, so I took them off.  But after seeing the one with the smaller Lionel railing, I may have to try that.  It looks "better" to me (even though it is less detailed stamped metal and not wire).  I know the railings usually weren't on oil tank cars, so they are ok with the railings removed.  Guess it is a case of "run what you like" .

Also, the "Train 19" line was K-Line's less expensive line, so that probably explains the non-sprung trucks.

Of the first six single dome tank cars by K-Line from 1987-88 the first three (Esso, Hooker, Great Western Wine 1987) had no platforms and had plastic trucks.  The CSX (1988) had no platform and plastic trucks.  The SP (1988) had the new wire platform and metal sprung trucks.  The Bakers Chocolate (1989) had the wire platform and plastic trucks.

In 1994 K-Line produced several thousand tank cars for Conoco with the new die cast chassis, wire platform, metal trucks and various other metal details.

In 1997 the new stamped metal platform was introduced and cars moving forward had either the stamped metal or wire platform.

I was about to question the identity of the Pacemaker tanker, as I didn't recall seeing any of K-Line's 8000-gallon style tankers with roller-bearing trucks, but before hitting the 'post' button I elected to perform some cursory research and found some stuff that amusingly muddies the waters just a little..

Exhibit A: A (completed) Ebay listing for a K-Line Train-19 series Pacemaker tanker [Search google images for "pacemaker tanker"] showing the box end identifying it as K-631-1751, same as its road number.

Exhibit B: A page from Lionel's website for their 6-21441 Pacemaker tanker, also displaying a road number of..."6311751". Further down on the page it shows it's last catalog appearance as "K-Line Preimer Catalog Vol.1 2007" (yes, "Premier" is misspelled on the site)

Both examples have the K-Line-style platform with wire handrails. Curiously enough, a google images search for the 6-21441 only brings up the image from Lionel's site, so I couldn't tell you if this car ever appeared in anything other than the "Train-19" box pictured in the Ebay listing.

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

Exhibit A: A (completed) Ebay listing for a K-Line Train-19 series Pacemaker tanker shows the box end identifying it as K-631-1751, same as its road number.

Exhibit B: A page from Lionel's website for their 6-21441 Pacemaker tanker, also displaying a road number of..."6311751". Further down on the page it shows it's last catalog appearance as "K-Line Preimer Catalog Vol.1 2007" (yes, "Premier" is misspelled on the site)

---PCJ

Thanks for posting.

When I started this topic I showed 1 of 2 Pacemaker Tank Cars I have (one with metal platform).  I also have one that came with the Plastic Platform.  The photos below show the cars and the boxes.  The cars are identical except for the platforms (including BLT 7-00 markings).  The boxes are somewhat different though, the one on the right has tabs that interlock on the ends to keep the box closed and the sticker is smaller (probably made at a different time?).  Both cars however have 2 small holes in the top of the tank to accommodate the tabs that extend down on the metal platform to prevent it from rotating.

Following Bill's "lead", I did some more searching and found this.

https://www.robertstrains.com/K-LineTankCars.htm

This tooling goes back to Kusan in the 1950's !!

https://www.robertstrains.com/Kusan.htm

https://www.robertstrains.com/Kusan7.htm

So from Kusan to Williams to K-Line to RMT.  From what I gather the K-Line iteration with the sprung metal trucks was the pinnacle (not sure if diecast frame qualifies, since not Kusan originally, but that would be at the very top).  I have a Williams car and the wheels float loosely on their axle.  I don't have any RMT, but as mentioned by Pete, they have documented Truck issues.

@Bill DeBrooke posted:

Of the first six single dome tank cars by K-Line from 1987-88 the first three (Esso, Hooker, Great Western Wine 1987) had no platforms and had plastic trucks.  The CSX (1988) had no platform and plastic trucks.  The SP (1988) had the new wire platform and metal sprung trucks.  The Bakers Chocolate (1989) had the wire platform and plastic trucks.

In 1994 K-Line produced several thousand tank cars for Conoco with the new die cast chassis, wire platform, metal trucks and various other metal details.

In 1997 the new stamped metal platform was introduced and cars moving forward had either the stamped metal or wire platform.

Thanks for posting!   I wanted to let you know your images aren't showing up.

@Retlaw posted:

I always liked the K-Line tank cars, but not the look of the railing around the dome - it just looked too big to me, so I took them off.  But after seeing the one with the smaller Lionel railing, I may have to try that.  It looks "better" to me (even though it is less detailed stamped metal and not wire).  I know the railings usually weren't on oil tank cars, so they are ok with the railings removed.  Guess it is a case of "run what you like" .

Also, the "Train 19" line was K-Line's less expensive line, so that probably explains the non-sprung trucks.

Thanks for posting.  I agree with you should run what you like!  The Metal Platforms are also more durable.

For anyone looking at this post for reference, the Pacemaker handrails in the photos above came painted black.  Even though they are made from the same diameter wire (0.033) as the silver ones on most cars, it somehow makes them look thinner?  BTW for comparison the the handrails that runs around the tank is 0.049 diameter.

@MainLine Steam posted:

Thanks for posting.  I agree with you should run what you like!  The Metal Platforms are also more durable.

For anyone looking at this post for reference, the Pacemaker handrails in the photos above came painted black.  Even though they are made from the same diameter wire (0.033) as the silver ones on most cars, it somehow makes them look thinner?  BTW for comparison the the handrails that runs around the tank is 0.049 diameter.

That info regarding the wire diameter comes in useful--I have a bunch of K-Line aluminum tankers (search "Tankerpalooza" here) won in an auction a couple of years ago (geez has it been that long?), that one or two examples are missing one of the platform handrails. I should be able to source some suitable wire and use the existing ones as a pattern to form some replacements.

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

That info regarding the wire diameter comes in useful--I have a bunch of K-Line aluminum tankers (search "Tankerpalooza" here) won in an auction a couple of years ago (geez has it been that long?), that one or two examples are missing one of the platform handrails. I should be able to source some suitable wire and use the existing ones as a pattern to form some replacements.

---PCJ

Glad I could help!

The wire is commonly called 1/32" diameter, the wire around the tank would be 3/64" diameter.  You need to decide how stiff you want the wire.  If you use "music wire" it is very stiff, so hard to bend, but it stays right where you bend it.  If you can find half-hard wire it is much easier to work with, but a little more fragile.