Tank Cars

Was not aware that they were scarce at all. Plenty on tables at the March Meet; I had 2 for sale at the last Strasburg meet.

What do you term as being relatively expensive?

I have used wood dowels to great effect.  Cost next to nothing.  EBay always has reasonable stuff, but the shipping doubles the price.

But I am with you - I think I have over 40 tank cars.  I like them.

You can always convert a 3-rail tankcar to 2-rail, but you have to watch out for things like solid stirrup steps, etc. or none at all.  They do make for a good starting point.

I've never tried Bob2s method using a wood dowel, but I do have a mini-lathe so.........

Bob Delbridge posted:

I've never tried Bob2s method using a wood dowel, but I do have a mini-lathe so.........

Better to go over to Home Depot, wander down the electrical aisle and locate the round conduit tubing; enough in 1 piece to make several cars,

I use a lot of wood..in structures, house cars, passengers, and cabooses, but must be a lousy modeler, for l never had any luck with wood tank cars.  With those l would go with tubing..

If you are talking brass cars, then I would agree.  Brass tank cars always seem to bring a premium.  The Pecos River ones go for at least $250, usually more.  The Precision ones are usually $275 and up, and the old Lobaugh J&L's still bring at least a hundred if well built. On the other hand, Precision hoppers are maybe $150, boxcars about the same.  Non 3rd rail Sunset tankers also still do well price wise.  Even the USH/KTM/MG type tankers bring a premium over other types of the same manufacturers cars.  So you are correct.  As to why, I don't really know.  Perhaps they made fewer of them or maybe modelers cling to them more than other cars. For my money, the USH cars are the best buy if you don't mind soldering brake detail and air lines on them.

If you are looking for transition era stuff look for 'Red Caboose' single dome 10,000 gallon tank cars. I see them either built up or kit form. Atlas makes nice single dome 8,000 gallon tankers that were acquired from Intermountain. The are also several variations in brass (Us Hobbies, W. A, Drake, Hobbyhill, PSC) which are generally more costly.

Can't help on the modern stuff

Simon

Peter.

What do you call expensive ? If you say that word you want to mention how much you want to pay per tank car.

Everything in O scale is expensive if you are short on money.

Lots of tank cars available in three rail but as I do changing to 2-rail using Kadees and intermountain wheels sets jacks up the price .

Red Caboose Tank car kits are great, fragile, and if you want to run plastic wheels they don't cost much, again I don't don't know what your budget is and if you want used RTR, kits, or scratchbuild.

Roo. 

Peter Lagus 091618 posted:

I left S Scale ten years ago and thought my model railroading days were over. Six months or so ago I saw a friend's O scale 2 rail layout and the bug bit. I have been slowly accumulating rolling stock and a couple of locomotives mostly off eBay or at the recent Lombard meet. Can anyone tell me why used tank cars are so scarce and relatively expensive compared to other types of rolling stock? I am thoroughly enjoying O scale and am sorry that I did not know about or discover 2 rail O when I revived my model rail roading in the late 90s.

Pete

Hey  Pete,

Before we yell at you we need to know what era you model and what level of detail you want in your models.

Are you looking for the O scale equivalent of River Raisin Models quality premium stuff or...

I'd say that modern tank cars are probably more expensive due to size; steam and transition era tankers are a bit more reasonable if you do Red Caboose or Intermountain kits.   RTR tankers = more expensive since the cars have more components to make and assemble onto the carbody.

Even then tankers are one of the least represented cars in the hobby.   The more common the style the less likely they are to be offered since most are boring black (or white) which doesn't sell well.   Discounting this, tankers suffer from the "no two cars are alike" syndrome which makes having a variety of RTR or kits nigh well impossible.

Back on "track"... what era you models determines what the offering is.   O scale lags behind in modern era offerings since most of us are grey hairs from the steam or earlier Diesel era. 

There are still tankers available made by Weaver. Look for them on eBay.

Dick

Wood block.  Sparse detail, but the point was - a "Dollar Car"

Scale Craft made very heavy tanks out of lead.  Usually fifteen bucks, but shipping is the killer:

I have 1 Red Caboose tankcar and while I like the tank, the plastic grabs, etc not so much.  For one thing I can't seem to handle the car without feeling something starting to bend/give/squish, or pop out of place.  Would much prefer brass for those parts.  If/when they break that's what I'll replace them with.

I agree plastic scale details I seem to harm at first touch....

Until you own a San Juan RTR O scale tanker, you don't know what fragile details means...

I like tank cars, well I should say Amy likes these... MWB is correct about shows. I picked up two more wine cars at the march meet. Many other types of tank cars both Atlas plastic, Red Caboose kits and older brass all under $100 and many under $50. I just did a search on that auction site... "o scale tank cars" and have over 10 pages. You may have to wade through the three rail stuff but many two rail cars there. I am sure there are also many at OGR advertisers.

I really would like one of these (source of photo unknown):

I suspect that was done to maintain the spacing of regular single-tank three-dome tankers.

PRRMP54 posted:

I really would like one of these (source of photo unknown):

I suspect that was done to maintain the spacing of regular single-tank three-dome tankers.

 

Interestingly, I started making patterns to cast that car about 10 years ago but lost interest before they were complete.  Probably still have the tanks around here somewhere.  There are photos of this car also with steel sheet wrapped around the center 2 gaps making it look more normal from a distance.

Saved and onto my "to be scratchbuilt" mountain of paper,

 Still wondering what the OP defines as being "relatively expensive".....

Great car. Owned by Imperial Oil in 1920 and lasted into the lat 1950's. I am guessing this never made it into the US. But if you are a Canadian modeler it's worth a scratch build.

This is actually the one I was going to model

mwb posted:

Bob Delbridge posted:

I've never tried Bob2s method using a wood dowel, but I do have a mini-lathe so.........

Better to go over to Home Depot, wander down the electrical aisle and locate the round conduit tubing; enough in 1 piece to make several cars,

What do you do for the end caps?

(just out of curiosity--I was at one point looking at replicating this: )

---PCJ

End caps.  A few years ago you could go to the auto parts store and buy proper shaped and sized "freeze plugs", chuck them in a 3-jaw, and put a notch in for a wrapper.  Like a lot of neat things, I think brass freeze plugs are extinct.

bob2 posted:

End caps.  A few years ago you could go to the auto parts store and buy proper shaped and sized "freeze plugs", chuck them in a 3-jaw, and put a notch in for a wrapper.  Like a lot of neat things, I think brass freeze plugs are extinct.

In Australia we called them "core plugs".  I have some end caps from Plastruct not that I'm building tank cars.

Roo.

They are actually core plugs used to fill holes left from the block casting process. They are still easily available at AutoZone, Advance, etc and online.

My dad made a die back in the day that you could put a end cap from a calk tube in and press it in a vise to the dome shape of a tank car. I don't know if modern plastic calk containers are the same inside diameter or not.  Of course, it wasn't brass.

I could use a part # for current production domed expansion plugs in brass for 1 3/4" and 2" diameter.  The last several tank cars needed flat plugs hammered in a concave anvil to get the correct shape.  Yes 20 years ago Dorman had them in the store.  Nobody has them now.

By the by, I bought that $65 book on tank cars.  Less than inspiring - no color shots, and unless you are very discerning, thousands of black and white photos of the same tank with minor variations.  Disappointing.

Besides the manufacturers sites there are many listed on eBay. Most listing are for particular engines but a search specifying brass and desired diameter should work.

bob2 posted:

By the by, I bought that $65 book on tank cars.  Less than inspiring - no color shots, and unless you are very discerning, thousands of black and white photos of the same tank with minor variations.  Disappointing.

What book is it?  Looking for the UTLX book myself since I have the ACF one. 

bob2 posted:

I could use a part # for current production domed expansion plugs in brass for 1 3/4" and 2" diameter.  The last several tank cars needed flat plugs hammered in a concave anvil to get the correct shape.  Yes 20 years ago Dorman had them in the store.  Nobody has them now.

Try Google - Autozone

Okay.  One suitable for S gauge - $20 each.  I will make my own from here on out.

ACF book.  Unimpressed.

They were $1.99 when I looked an hour ago,   Price of brass must have shot up suddenly again.

A source of rounded tank car ends can be the con caved bottoms of spray cans.  I grind them off with a bench grinder.  For 2 inch dia I use my wife's hair spray can bottoms.  Latest use was for a Vanderbilt coal tender I made.  I am waiting for her to empty another one for a longer second Vanderbilt tender!

Also used mailing tubes from UPS for the tank body.  Mailing tubes are strong and light weight and cheap.

One good thing about tank cars, they come in many sizes, in both length and diameter even if made in scale.

Charlie

Dear Forum,

A few photos of Stephen Hile’s extensive research book on steam era UTLX tank cars.

There is both B/W and color photos.

A book worth looking into if you are a modeler of tank cars.

John P Dunn Sr.

Strasburg Shows - 08/10 , 10/12/2019

I saw many at the recent April York both traditional O Gauge size and true scale O gauge.  The only expensive ones ( well over $100.00) per car were/are the Lifesavers Flavors series.  Whew....those puppies are $$$$$$$

redjimmy1955 posted:

I saw many at the recent April York both traditional O Gauge size and true scale O gauge.  The only expensive ones ( well over $100.00) per car were/are the Lifesavers Flavors series.  Whew....those puppies are $$$$$$$

The lifesaver flavors were made for Cal-Stewart TCA division.  They weren’t as plentiful as general production and were around 70 to 75 dollars to start.  They are certainly hard to come by, so I understand asking a larger amount for them. (Mind you I am speaking about the 3 rail tradition Lionel style. I am not knowledgeable about two rail scale model equipment.)

jdunn posted:

Dear Forum,

A few photos of Stephen Hile’s extensive research book on steam era UTLX tank cars.

There is both B/W and color photos.

A book worth looking into if you are a modeler of tank cars.

John P Dunn Sr.

Strasburg Shows - 08/10 , 10/12/2019

 

 

The UTLX book is on my short list of books to buy... I keep hesitating since O scale does not have ANY UTLX tank cars other than the old "Gramps" Van Dyke cars so reading about all the UTLX cars would get me hissing.    

I keep trying to scare up someone to do quality versions of 6k/8k/10k UTLX X3 tankers in O scale but to no avail.   No way in he-double-ell am I able to scratchbuild anything even remotely nice looking.

Anyway, I will agree with BOB2, I usually love freight car books and the deeper the subject coverage the better but the ACF book wasn't one of my favorites.

I will get the Hile book.  I love tank cars.  I need more Lobaugh 12,000 gal tanks!