MTH Premier 8000 Gallon Tankcar

Some later MTH models of this car type were supplied with Rollerbearing style trucks.

Uh Actually it's the other way around; Some later MTH models of this car type were supplied with friction bearing[ Bettendorf] style trucks. Most of the MTH 8k tank cars came with Roller Bearing trucks.

I found some undecorated on the bay a few years ago, repainted and flipped them. MTH came out with this paint scheme one year later.

So how does someone change the trucks back to rollerbearing types?

Remove the plain bearing trucks, then purchase new roller bearing trucks from MTH, and reinstall.

Wish MTH would redesign their tank cars to eliminate the extreme "high water" look they have. They look awkward they ride so high. I've taken one of mine apart to examine but haven't figured out a way to modify it with "plastic surgery" to lower the body.

What is the procedure for disassembling the body to unscrew the trucks to make this conversion?

Usually there is a Philips screw which secures the truck to the frame via the bolster. Turn the car upside down and look for a recess in the middle of the truck frame; the screw should be in that recess. Once the screw is removed the truck should lift off with no resistance.

Unfortunately there are very few pictures for a modern 8k gallon tank car, as the overwhelming majority of tanks on the rails today are in the 20-30k gallon range. However I was able to locate a picture taken in 2007 of what could be the prototype for MTH's modern 8k gallon tank car. According to AAR (Association of American Railroads), this is classified as a type T102 car.

Hope this helps!

-John

pro hobby- There are three screws that free the bolster assembly from the body. You have to swivel and slide it on the handrail attached to the tank to access the truck screw which comes down into the top of the truck. Sounds harder than it really is. On Atlas cars the truck screws are right inside the truck. Good luck.  

Lots of pics of "beer can" tank cars in Morning Sun Tank Color Guide Volume 2 Stub Sill Cars.

http://morningsunbooks.com/col...ar-color-guide-vol-2

The MTH car looks to be of a larger prototype. If you look at the side view of the model, there is easily more space between the trucks than the length of a truck. On the prototype photo above, the trucks are almost the same distance apart as their individual wheelbases.

---PCJ