Tangent - New MODEL: GATC 1917-Design 10,000 Gal. Tank Car

[tangentsm]

New Model: Tangent Scale Models GATC 1917-Design 10,000 Gallon Radial Course Tank Car

January 27, 2018

Live from Springfield MA at the Railway Hobby Show:

Tangent Scale Models is proud to introduce our next ALL-NEW freight car replica, the General American 10,000 Gallon 1917-Design Radial Course Tank Car. This is an ALL-NEW model that has never been offered before in HO scale plastic! (Radial course means the tank’s steel panels overlap each other, looking like “stairsteps”). This is our THIRD all-new 1917-Design radial course tank car design released – the previous two were 8,000 gallon designs, while this one is 10,000 gallons!

By the end of World War I, U.S. production of oil and oil-related products was sharply increasing thanks to the combination of war-related demands as well as demands from home. In order to move oil and new consumer products, tank car producers introduced new car designs. In 1917 General American Tank Car introduced a new general service 10,000 gallon non-insulated tank car. Built in East Chicago, IN, these cars were easily identifiable by their circumferential rivets that surrounded the tank body, with notably different heights between the courses. These “radial course” tank cars utilized steel bolster plates that rise up vertically to hold the tank in place, complete with a “web” section behind to minimize steel consumption. At a time of fairly monochromatic box cars plying the rails, most consumable products and oil shippers proudly displayed their company markings on the tanks. This car design was no exception, with Sinclair being a dominant purchaser of tank cars of this type. Additionally, many smaller oil shippers had fleets of these cars during the oil boom years. Finally, as many oil businesses failed, the cars ended up back with GATC and were restenciled with new owner markings and were placed back into service for a new owner. Between Sinclair, Humble Oil, Hercules Powder Company, and other schemes to come in future releases, think of this as one of the first “crude oil” tank cars of consequence. Forget boring present day tanks. These cars were the most prolific tank cars built during the first tank car building boom, and were found everywhere from 1917 to 1970.

The Tangent Scale Models GATC 1917-Design 10,000 Gallon Insulated Tank Car starts exactly where our “state of the art” 8,000 gallon tank car left off, which we released in 2016. Our highly-detailed tank car model includes details accurate for each paint scheme, including KC- or AB-brake variations, with or without Cardwell draft sill springs, and different hand brakes. Other visually-distinctive details for our models include the “see through” bolster section, circumferential rivets, and differing course heights. Our RTR models include correct “true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement. Finally, our scale replicas operate as well as they look, equipped with free-rolling all-metal wheels and Kadee® scale couplers, meaning our models are truly ready to run.

Our new ready to operate replicas are available for sale now at www.tangentscalemodels.com and we are selling these cars at the Amherst Railway Society show in Springfield MA on January 27-28, 2018!

These replicas will certainly be eye-catchers on your layout! Check out the radial courses – they look like nothing else in HO! Our first stunning release includes the following three paint schemes:

- HOX "Humble Petroleum Products" 1935+ has a silver-painted carbody with “Humble Petroleum Products” stenciling within red logos on the side of the car. The remaining tank stenciling is black, while the frame stenciling is correctly rendered in white. As always, this scheme comes directly from a prototype car that matches our model, which is displayed on our website. Humble operated gas stations under the Humble name brand, as well as Esso, Enco, and Carter. Humble was acquired by Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1959, but this car represents the period prior to that event. These cars were used to ship refined oil products for Humble, which operated gas stations located across most of the United States, with emphasis away from both coasts, making them broadly applicable to many railroads in North America. Our Humble Petroleum 1935+ replicas come with era-correct K-brakes and they are available in four different road numbers.


- SRDX "Sinclair" 1947+ with beautiful “SINCLAIR” graphics on the side of the black carbody, with the small “REF’D OIL” stenciling to indicate the commodity hauled in these tank cars. Sinclair tank cars were nationwide roamers for sure, and our model has the accurate silver color stenciling for Sinclair’s GATC fleet of 1917-Design tank cars. Based upon the small brake stencil and tank psi test lettering, this car is accurately stenciled for service in 1947 and onward. The car’s other lettering shows a 1920 car build date. The expansion dome has the typical Sinclair silver “dot” stencil on it. These cars are complete with an era-appropriate AB-brake system, matching the photo on the Tangent site, which displays a well-worn car in 1957. These stunning cars are available in six road numbers. And don’t forget, Sinclair had the largest shipper-owned tank car fleet in North America in 1950, with virtually all of them having large billboard lettering, so don’t miss out!


- UTLX "Hercules Powder" 1949+ has a black-painted carbody with typical UTLX graphics from the post-war period. This car is leased to Hercules for shipping of various chemicals. While Hercules originally produced munitions powders, aka “gunpowder,” it eventually provided many chemicals from plants all over the USA, including but not limited to acetone, cotton cellulose, rosins (for paper stiffening), gums, and turpentine. Our HO replica includes accurate yellow stenciling for “Hercules Power Company, Wilmington Delaware” on the side of the car. This model is complete with the classic image of Roman god Hercules on the side. Check out the detail on our Hercules stenciling! Our Hercules Powder cars come with an era-correct AB-brake system, and these stunners are available in four road numbers.


- Undecorated RTR Black cars are fully assembled and painted black and are ready for decaling!


- Undecorated Unpainted Kits are available as well. When you gripe that “no one” makes kits anymore, well, here they are. These are ready for building or kitbashing, and paint and decals. These are great for those who desire to build their own. Don’t miss out on these!

Features for these awesome replicas include:
- Circumferential riveted tank body and riveted underframe (count ‘em, there are many!)
- Radial course tank body – note the “stairstep” appearance!
- All-new underframe for the GATC 1917-design
- “See-through” cast knee above the bolsters
- Accurate dome appliances
- Dimensionally-correct hazardous placards with accurate hole detail
- Separately applied tank handrail
- Separately applied tank strap detail
- KC- or AB- brake variations depending on the prototype car
- Inclusion of Cardwell draft sill springs depending on the prototype car, otherwise “oval” frame openings where the springs were removed
- Different hand brake appliance options depending on the prototype car
- Highly correct “true to life” colors
- “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement, including lettering applied to the underframe and air reservoir
- Durable wire grab irons and coupler lift bars
- Separate air hoses
- “Near-scale” draft gear box with side detail
- Kadee® “scale-head” couplers
- CNC-machined 33” wheels in high-quality Tangent Scale Models ASF cast steel truck with spring plank and with separate brake beams
- Replacement semi-scale wheels available separately from Tangent
- Multiple road numbers for each scheme - these cars often traveled in "groups" of more than one
- Recommended age 14 years and older

Don’t miss out on the Tangent Scale Models General American 10,000 gallon 1917-design radial course tank car! Just like its prototype, this car will stand out on any layout situated from 1917 to 1970, and they went everywhere!

Pricing for RTR models is $44.95. High-resolution images showing these fine replicas are available at www.tangentscalemodels.com and our site also includes prototype images for your reference as well.

That wraps up our update for today, and thank you for supporting the family-owned businesses in our industry!

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models - “Unparalleled scale replicas for discriminating railroad modelers”
www.tangentscalemodels.com
[e-mail]
PO Box 6514
Asheville NC 28816
828-279-6106

[stevewagner]

Also terrific news!

D&H fans may recall that Hercules Powder at one time had an operation at the former Imperial Paint facility in South Glens Falls, NY.

Given my sentimental approach to modeling, the Sinclair tank is also appealing. Sometime in the 1950s or early 1969s, the lamps inside the L's in a sign on a Shell station in Whitehall, NY burned out, so that when lit the sign showed SHE. My father commented on it, talking about the adventure novel of that name by H. Rider Haggard, which I hadn't heard of before. (It's worth reading, and the 1935 movie version is a a classic, as is the 1937 movie of King Solomon's Mines, based on another book by the same author, with Paul Robson playing a major role.) She is the source of "She who must be obeyed", which is how "Rumpole of the Bailey" referred to his wife.

Back to Sinclair -- when my Dad made the remark about the "SHE" sign, I thought that if the "C" went dark on a a SINCLAIR sign you'd have SIN LAIR. (I'm not sure I ever saw such a sign, but I think there may have been a Sinclair refinery a bit farther down the Delaware River from Philadelphia on the New Jersey side, so I may possibly have seen one.) That could be mischievously positioned on a model railroad near a house of ill repute.

Sinclair Oil was founded by Harry Sinclair. During Warren Harding's presidency Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall corruptly leased a naval oil reserve at Teapot Dome in Wyoming to Sinclair (plus others in California to another oilman), which became a major scandal. Fall received a serious prison sentence, Sinclair a shorter one (for jury tampering), after which he went back to running the oil company, which he did until 1949.

At the Chicago World's Fair in 1933-1934 the oil company sponsored a dinosaur exhibit, which became very popular. It had a big dinosaur display at the New York World's Fair in 1964, which I attended. By that time the big stand alone signs at Sinclair stations had the name in italics, with only the S capitalized, plus a green "brontosaurus" (as we called it then) in profile. In the 1950's the signs were circles in green, red and white with big white HC in the center and the company name around it, without dinosaurs. Sinclair became part of ARCO in 1969.

If I ever have a SINCLAIR tank car on my layout it'll commemorate two major American authors, Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis. The former was a socialist who wrote The Jungle, which didn't convert most Americans to socialism but was a major factor in promoting necessary reforms in meat packing and food safety. I used to read history students the famous "Mr. Dooley" column by Finley Peter Dunne entitled, "The Food We Eat", which features, in an Irish-American accent, President Teddy Roosevelt reading the novel while eating breakfast and suddenly crying, "I'm poisoned" and throwing sausages out of the window. Teddy Roosevelt habitually read Mr.. Dooley columns out loud to his Cabinet. That was a President with a sense of humor, including about himself. Sinclair Lewis won the Nobel Prize for literature; his Babbit, among other things, show the decline of streetcars and the rise of the automobile in a city based on Duluth, Minnesota.

[csxt8400]

Cool stuff, Dave!

[alfsboy]

That Hercules Powder looks set to join my small but growing black tank car fleet that serves no purpose other that to look good .I even have a silver Tangent Roma wine tank car purely for gratuitus self indulgence.

[Deleted]

While not in my era, I have seen Dave's other offerings of these older tank cars; they are flawless. Dave's research and attention to detail in his models is second to none. His paint work and lettering is likewise superb.

This car looks to be on the same caliber.  

Smaller things jump out to me...like the raised casting marks on the truck side frames.  Great!

[riogrande]

Those are beautiful tank cars. I expect those would have been out of mainline service by the late 1970's.

[lackawanna1223]

Sinclair AND Hercules in one run?! Oof!

My Grandfather was the nightwatchmen at the Kenvil, NJ plant in the forties and fifties. I'm not sure if they got tankers but I think Jersey Central did serve sidings there.

[stevewagner]

Note that although the photos of the Sinclair tank cars show what looks like white lettering, according to the text on Tangent's website they are supposed to have silver lettering, and that's what the model actually has. One of the Tangent people said it tending to whiten with age. Maybe. And/or maybe the color in the photos may have been affected by the lighting when the pix were taken (or "made').

[kentuckysouthernrwy]

Cool cars. Hercules is calling me...the hook’s been set....

Interesting historical info, Steve.

[Amboy Secondary]

Jan 27, 2018 9:03:39 GMT -8 riogrande said:

Those are beautiful tank cars. I expect those would have been out of mainline service by the late 1970's.

The 10000 Gallon tank cars were phased out beginning in 1975, when larger capacity, shielded tank cars with shelf couplers came into widespread use.

There was a Sinclair Refinery in Trainer, PA just South of Chester that displayed a large SINCLAIR sign in Red Neon. The refinery was adjacent to a Reading Company yard, and the Sinclair tank cars were common on Reading trains. The Bulk of rail tank car business, however, was at Sun Oil's refinery in Marcus Hook, just South of Trainer. As a side bar, The former Sinclair refinery, remains open, now owned by Delta Airlines, and producing Jet fuel for the airline industry.

Think I'll get one Sinclair and one Hercules. They will fit in perfectly with my C&DR 1968 era operations. 

[Paul Cutler III]

There was a Hercules Powder plant in Mansfield, MA on the Boston to Providence mainline, and I already have a small fleet of Hercules cars from other companies. Sigh. Guess I'm gonna need some more...

[riogrande]

Jan 29, 2018 16:27:21 GMT -8 Amboy Secondary said:

Jan 27, 2018 9:03:39 GMT -8 riogrande said:

Those are beautiful tank cars. I expect those would have been out of mainline service by the late 1970's.

The 10000 Gallon tank cars were phased out beginning in 1975, when larger capacity, shielded tank cars with shelf couplers came into widespread use.

Thanks. Based on photo's from the 1970's, it does look like there were some smaller, older tank cars in operation so I was looking at which I could add to my fleet that would qualify. Looking at Tangents site and descriptions, there may be one 3 dome that would be possible and one or two of the acid tank cars.

[kentuckysouthernrwy]

My Hercules tank car arrived with Thursday’s mail. What a beautiful model. Great attention to secure packing by Tangent as well as quick service from NC to Michigan.

[bar]

Nice looking car, I wonder how many were still running in revenue service with stemwinder brakewheel in the 1970s?

[tangentsm]

Feb 2, 2018 6:25:28 GMT -8 bar said:

Nice looking car, I wonder how many were still running in revenue service with stemwinder brakewheel in the 1970s?

While a large percentage of the steam and transition-era tank cars remained in service in the 1970s, including a large percentage of the original 1930s/1940s/1950s fleet of GATC, ACF, etc. built tank cars, these GATC Tangent 1917-design tank cars didn't get much past 1970.

That may cost my company a sale or two of the 1917-design tanks, however we offer 2 other tank cars from later design periods...

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models

[riogrande]

David,

Thanks for the info. I take it the 3-dome and the acid tank cars have some versions that would serve my late 1970's time frame correct?

BTW, it's precisely because you do provide accurate models and background information that keeps me coming back, even if a small number of models are out of my "era".

Keep up the excellent work!

[valenciajim]

Feb 2, 2018 11:51:31 GMT -8 riogrande said:

David,

Thanks for the info. I take it the 3-dome and the acid tank cars have some versions that would serve my late 1970's time frame correct?

BTW, it's precisely because you do provide accurate models and background information that keeps me coming back, even if a small number of models are out of my "era".

Keep up the excellent work!

I'll second that comment!

[fr8kar]

You know you're doing something right when you make cars good enough people consider changing eras...

[kentuckysouthernrwy]

Feb 2, 2018 15:06:56 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

You know you're doing something right when you make cars good enough people consider changing eras...

Maybe Era Warp...Jason at Rapido is actually working on a device to do that, or Era Bending...much easier on the collective conscience. It’s something I’ve been practicing for some time on my Kentucky Southern as it operates generally under Rule 1. Luckily for me Tangent’s new car fits right in my baseline era, just a rare warp of the budget tho.

[tangentsm]

Feb 2, 2018 15:06:56 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

You know you're doing something right when you make cars good enough people consider changing eras...

Thank you! We try really hard here at Tangent, and our brand is run by modelers.

Simply the best cars.

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models

[fr8kar]

Feb 3, 2018 10:08:52 GMT -8 tangentsm said:

Feb 2, 2018 15:06:56 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

You know you're doing something right when you make cars good enough people consider changing eras...

Thank you! We try really hard here at Tangent, and our brand is run by modelers.

Simply the best cars.

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models

If you ever do anything decorated for Pierce Fordyce Oil, I'm in whether it fits my era or not. I could always run it with my friend's fifties and sixties stuff.

[grahamline]

This car revives the question of whether there were ever tank cars lettered for UTOCO. Intermountain released a silver one. Walthers made such a set long ago but I've never been able to find a photo of a real car.

intermountain-railway.com/modelersclub/?page_id=1744

utahrails.net/industries/oil.php

[bar]

Feb 2, 2018 11:31:38 GMT -8 tangentsm said:

Feb 2, 2018 6:25:28 GMT -8 bar said:

Nice looking car, I wonder how many were still running in revenue service with stemwinder brakewheel in the 1970s?

While a large percentage of the steam and transition-era tank cars remained in service in the 1970s, including a large percentage of the original 1930s/1940s/1950s fleet of GATC, ACF, etc. built tank cars, these GATC Tangent 1917-design tank cars didn't get much past 1970.

That may cost my company a sale or two of the 1917-design tanks, however we offer 2 other tank cars from later design periods...

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models

A 45 degree bend in the brakewheel staff, and I'm good to go for post-1970! The BAR ran plenty of outdated rolling stock. A non-interchange car is your friend!