Union Tank Car Co. 17441 a “squat tank”

With several Union Tank Car Company, UTLX, 10,000 gallon X-3 tank cars in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, I wanted  a "squat" 8,000 gallon X-3 to join them.  Therefore, I pulled Sunshine Models Union Tank Car Company, kit 62.2, from inventory for this build.

The prototype,  an uninsulated tank mostly used to haul oil, was one of four designs built for UTLX by American Car And Foundry assigned to series 17000 - 17799.  The 32’ 2” frame X-3 carried an 8,000 gallon tank.  The tank was a shortened 10,000 gallon tank; therefore, the name “squat” tank.  A special feature of the X-3 tank car was the length of the underframe being longer than the tank which created a space between the tank and end sill that was used for a wood platform.  Another feature of most X-3s was the dome platform only on the left side of the car.  The X-3 tank cars generally rode on a four spring package, planked, cast side frame trucks.

Photo from Sunshine Models tank car kit instructions
(Click or tap on this or nay photo to enlarge)

Photo from Sunshine Models tank car kit instructions

A short "squat" 8,000 gallons X-3 compared to
a 10,000 gallon X-3

My first step was to determine the number I wanted for the tank car.   I looked at the decal sheet which had a long row of numbers among which I  found three possible numbers I could use.  I looked  up each number in  a book titled Tank Car Capacities Tariff , Freight Tariff 300-H, effective September 30, 1955.  This book shows the capacity of the shell and dome in gallons and in many cases special features for all tank cars in revenue service in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  I decided I would use number 17441.

The build began with the underframe the tank sits on.  I drilled and tapped the coupler pockets and bolster center plates for 2-56 screws.   Kadee #148 couplers were installed in the coupler pockets with Fastenal 2-56 x 3/16” screws.   Accurail AAR cast steel trucks into which InterMountain 33” metal wheels were installed were installed with Fastenal 2-56 x 1.4” screws.   Kadee #208, .015” fiber washers were installed to gain proper coupler height determined with a Kadee coupler height gauge.

Trucks and couplers installed. 

Following kit instructions, various parts including corner platforms between end sill and bolsters,  corner triangular plates on top and bottom, bolster cover plates on top of the underframe, ratchet plate with pawl and ratchet and retainer valve, were installed.  Next the running boards and small styrene supports were installed.  The tank was weighted to 3.8 ounces using A-Line 1/2 ounce and other weights and installed.  Next tank dome with dome details as manhole cover and safety valves followed.

Corner platforms, corner triangular plates, ratchet
 and pawl, and retainer valve installed.

Running boards, tank dome with details added.

Next the photo etched tank bands, one of the most difficult parts of the build, were installed following kit instructions with one exception.   I did not use the incorrect tank diagram in the kit instructions or the corrected diagram in a correction sheet provided by Sunshine Models to mark the position of the tank bands as, in my opinion, it would not locate them on the tank to match their location on the prototype.  Instead, I used prototype photos to locate the bands on the tank.  At this point in the build I would like to have continued with handrail install; however, I was still waiting for Precision Scale handrail stanchions to arrive so I began the underbody work.

Photo etched tank bands installed.

The cross bearers were installed first followed by the brake components.  I used a Tichy Train Group (Tichy) air reservoir and brake cylinder from set #3013 to replace the kit parts ( I believe Cal-Scale)  due to their smaller size.  In my opinion, the smaller size match proportions in prototype photos better.  Brake levers, kit, brake lever hangers, kit grab irons, installation followed.  A train line using .018” flora wire  and brake rods made from Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW) and chain, kit, were installed.

Underframe details installed.  Left cross bearer
installed per incorrect instructions.

Underframe with corrected cross bearer location
per corrected instructions.

Still no Precision Scale handrail stanchions in the mailbox so I went back to working on  tank details.  Grab irons bent from Tichy #1101, .010” diameter brass wire were installed. The dome platform was installed on brackets made from .005” sheet brass.  I installed the photo etched sill steps in the kit; however, I quickly determined they were too delicate for an operating railroad so replaced them with sill steps bent from Detail Associates #2524, .010” x .030” flat bar stock.

Grab irons, dome platform fabricated brackets and sill steps installed.

Dome platform installed.

As soon as handrail stanchions, Precision Scale #32110, arrived in the mail I installed them.  I drilled out the stanchions with a #79 drill followed with a #76 drill.  On the tank I marked the location of the holes for the handrail stanchions with a pencil.  I used a map pin to make a dimple to mark and provide a drill starting location for a  #76 drill held in the chuck of a 8050 Dremel Tool.  Once the holes were drilled the Precision Scale side and end stanchions were installed.   To allow the glue additional time to dry before installing the handrails I installed the brake staff, Tichy #1102, .015" diameter PBW, and brake wheel provided in kit.   Defect card holders provided in the kit were also installed. 

Handrail stanchions, brake shaft with brake wheel and
defect car holders (on sill next to sill step) installed.

Handrails, Details Associates #2506, .019” diameter brass wire were installed.   The bending of the handrails for the ends was done with a BeadSmith wire bending pliers and jig in the kit.    I made one handrail for each side of the tank joining the ends of the two handrails in the handrail stanchions on the tank car ends.  I made the handrails by bending the end portion in the jig, sliding the straight portion thru the opening in the side handrail stanchions until the curved portion bent in the jig reached the end of the tank car and then bending the other end by sight with the BeadSmith wire bending pliers.  After installing the handrails, a ladder cut from brass ladder stock with rungs filed thinner was installed.   There were resin cast ladders in the kit; however, due to their easy breakage I never use them.

Bending jig for handrail ends and bending pliers.

Handrails and ladder installed.

Only install of uncoupling levers was left to complete the build.  I first made uncoupling levers mounting brackets with styrene from the bits box and and eye bolts bent from wire in bits box.   Uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW were installed.

Uncoupling levers installed.  Also note replaced sill step.

Another build finished except for paint and decals.  I  wiped the car with a cotton swab dipped in 91% alcohol to remove any grime from the build.  Off to the paint booth where I sprayed the tank car with Vallejo Model Color Black 70.95.  After the black was dry I sprayed the car with Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 to provide a decal base.

Car out of paint shop after Gloss sprayed.

The Rail Graphics decals provided in the kit were applied with Microscale Micro Sol.  When decals were dry, the car body was sprayed with another gloss coat.  After letting it dry overnight, I sprayed the car with Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.580 to protect dry transfers and decals during handling and for weathering.

Decals applied .

Car is taped for spraying with Vallejo Matt Varnish

Car sprayed with  Vallejo Matt Varnish and ready for weathering. 

I weathered the tank car with Pan Pastels and makeup brushes using the following colors: Payne’s Grey Extra Dark 840.1 and Burnt Sienna 740.5.

UTLX 17441 weathered with Pan Pastels

UTLX 17441 weathered with Pan Pastels

UTLX underbody weathered with Pan Pastels.

Once I had the tank car weathered I printed a car card and placed UTLX 17441 in service.   I took a photo of it sitting at Chestnut Street Yard engine facility in Minneapolis , Minn. of the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, “Serving Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

UTLX 17441 sitting at the fuel facility at Chestnut Street
Yard of the M&N in Minneapolis, Minn.

UTLX 17441 sitting at fuel facility at Chestnut Street
Yard of M&N in Minneapolis, Minn.

I want to say, “Thank You” to George Toman and Peter Hall for being willing to reduce their stash of Precision Scale handrail stanchions.   Without their help this project could not have been completed.   Again, “Thank You” George and Peter.  And, I say, "Thank You" to Bill Welch for permission to use his photo of the prototype used in the kit instructions.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

Santa Fe Tank Car 100701 from 100801

After upgrading Athearn Tank Car, kit 1574, lettered for the Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe (ATSF) with number 100801 and publishing the write up and photos of the upgrade on this blog I received an email from John Barry  telling me he had bad news and good news.  The bad news, Santa Fe series 100800-100899  tank cars, Class Tk-L, had an integral cast tank bottom/underframe which the Athearn tank car does not.  He also made me aware I had forgot to remove two tank outlets on the bottom/underframe.  However; John said, “The good news is that you can make an accurate model of the 12,000 gallon Tk-K with a change of a single digit in the car number and substituting "K" for "L" in the class designation.  Santa Fe acquired 500 of the 12,000 gallon Ks in 1918 and they lasted to 1989.  Car numbers were 100300-100799 and a very reasonable match to your upgrade.”  And, I was aware that the Athearn tank size was not correct for the 16,200 gallon Tx-L  as I had calculated it to be 12,228 gallons.  Upon looking up ATSF tank car 100701 in a reproduction of the Tank Car Corporation Tariff Freight Tariff 300-H effective September 30, 1955 the capacity in gallons of the shell was 12,070 and dome 292. Therefore, based on the data I had now I decided to make the lettering changes and make additional changes to improve the tank car. 

However, I wanted additional data and photos on the Santa Fe class Tk-K before making the changes to tank car 100801.  I was able to obtain that information from  Santa Fe Tank Cars by Richard H. Hendrickson and Richard W. Pelouze (The Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society Inc., 2004).   The excellent reference book contains diagrams and photos of the class.  In addition to the data already provided by John Barry, here I learned the cars built by Pressed Steel Car Co. had a less massive underframe of skeleton design with straight center sills and five lightweight cross members between the bolsters.  The dome platform was only on the left side of each car.  And, the cars rode on 50 ton capacity Class 549 Andrews U-section cast steel trucks.

After taking the tank car from my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company back to the modeling bench I began by removing the plastic ladders , flora wire handrails and brass hand rail stanchions with a needle nose pliers since I was not happy with the initial install.  Since, I now had in stock a Tichy Train Group (Tichy) Tank Car Detail Set #3007 with a correct size dome manhole cover I also removed the the over sized cast one on the resin cast dome.  I installed the dome manhole cover from the Tichy Tank Car Detail Set #3007.

Ladder, handrails, and dome platform removed.
(Click or tap on this on any photo to enlarge)

Now knowing the car should have only the dome platform on the left side, I removed both molded on platforms.  I used a scalpel to make a cut on top of the platform along the tank. A Xacto handle with a #18 blade was used for the final removal making the cut from the underside of the platform making sure not to damage the platforms to allow reinstall.  One cut off platform was shortened to 6 feet per tank car drawings.  To make platform brackets I cut an A-Line #29000, sill step cut in half  and bent the upper part to form the support angle portion of the bracket.  The two brackets were installed on the tank in holes drilled with a #76 drill.  The shorten platform was installed on the brackets with the other edge 4’ 3” from the tank center per tank car diagram.

Dome manhole and dome platform brackets installed.

At this time for those wanting a match to the prototype, the molded on tank bands could be removed and replaced with Yarmouth Model Works etched tank bands.  Since I was after a reasonable looking stand in I chose not to do this.

Next, the Tichy plastic handrail stanchions from the Tichy Tank Car Detail Set were installed.  New handrails were made using Detail Associates #2506, .019” diameter brass wire.  The bending of the handrails for the ends was done with a BeadSmith wire bending pliers and jig saved from a Resin Car Works or Sunshine Models kit.    I made one handrail for each side of the tank joining the ends of the two handrails in the handrail stanchions on the tank car ends.  I made the handrails by bending half of the end portion in the jig, sliding the straight portion thru the opening in the side handrail stanchions until the curved portion bent in the jig reached the end of the tank car and then bending the other end by sight with the BeadSmith wire bending pliers.

Jig and pliers used for bending handrail ends.

Tichy handrail stanchions and handrails
 bent from Detail Associates brass wire installed.

I added a ladder cut from brass ladder stock with rungs filed to smaller diameter to the left side.  I had to put a slight bend at the top rather than leaving it straight as on the prototype due to the distance the Tichy handrail stanchions put the handrail from the side of the tank car.

Brass ladder installed.

Ladder curved at top to reach platform.

Since I had corrected items above to match the prototype I wanted to remove the brake mast (stand) and brake wheel correct for Class Tk-L; however, not Class Tk-K.  So the brake mast was removed with a single edge razor blade.  A ratchet, plate, pawl and wheel, molded as one part, in the Tichy Tank Car Detail Set were added.  A brake shaft cut from Tichy #2505, .015” phosphor bronze wire (PBW) with a brake wheel again from the Tichy Tank Car Detail Set was installed.

Brake gear installed.

I went back to the underframe and added brake lever hangers and an air release lever using plastic grab irons from the Tichy Detail Tank Car Set.  The air release lever is half of one of the large grabs irons.  The air release bracket was formed with Tichy #1101, .010” diameter wire from the wire  bits box.  I removed the Accurail ARA cast steel trucks with spring plank and replaced them with Accurail #166, Andrews trucks using the InterMountain 33” metal wheels from the removed trucks.  With this tank car being a reasonable stand in, I was chose not to rebuild the underframe, specifically the cross bears and their number, to match the prototype.

Brake lever hangers and air release lever installed.

The tank car was now ready for the relettering from number 100801 to 100701.  I had already removed the lettering to be removed with a Euro micro nylon scratch brush.  Decals for side lettering changes, the “7” and “K” were made using Woodland Scenics R.R. Roman Numbers-White, dry transfer lettering,  set DT510.  Decals for the side, a “0”, and the ends, the “7”, were made with Clover House Railroad Roman Alphabet Condensed Bold White #9600-11 dry transfers.  I had to make a zero to change the car capacity from 140,000 on the Class Tk-L tank to 100,000 capacity on the Class Tk-K tank.  The dry transfer lettering was applied to decal paper and coated with MicroScale Liquid Decal Film.  The decals were applied with MicroScale Micro Sol and Walthers Solvaset decal setting solution. When decals were dry, the decal were hand painted with Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.580 to protect dry transfers and decals during handling and for weathering.

New lettering using decals made with dry transfers applied.

I touched up weathering on the tank car with Pan Pastels and makeup brushes using the previously used colors: Payne’s Grey Extra Dark 840.1 and Burnt Sienna 740.5.

Once I had the tank car weathered I printed a new car card and placed ATSF 100701  in service.   I took a photo of it sitting at Meyer Oil in Northfield, Minn. served by Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, “Serving Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

ATSF tank 100701 spotted at Meyer Oil

I wish to say, “Thank You”, to John Barry for the information he provided and John Hotvet for letting me use his copy of the Santa Fe Tank Car book to see the information and photos of the Tk-K Class tank cars.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe Tank Car 100801

Several years ago I purchased an Athearn Tank Car, kit 1574, lettered for the Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe (A.T.S. F.) with number 100801.  I made the purchase thinking I had seen a photo of the car in a Car Builders’ Cyclopedia.  I was happy when I found photos of A.T.S.F. tank car 100800, series 100800-100899, Class ICC-103, 16,200 gallons tank car, built by General American Transportation Corporation in the 1940 Car Builders’ Cyclopedia ( Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp., 1940) on page 319.  The photos also appear in Train Shed Cyclopedia NO. 12, Tank Cars 1922-1943 ( Newton K. Gregg, 1973).

1940 Car Builders' Cyclopedia
(Click of tap on photo to enlarge)

And, I was not happy because I was aware of the problems with the Athearn tank car such as dome too short and all tank rivets not correct.  The problems are described in a two part article  “Tank Car Basics” by Tony Thompson in Model Railroad Hobbyist, Part 1 in February 2016 and Part 2 in March 2016.  Knowing the problems, my first thought was to put it on my sale table in my railroad area; however, I finally decided  to build it to test some ideas I had and use it as a reasonable looking stand in. 

On the under body I cut off the coupler pocket covers from the underframe.  I drilled and tapped the coupler pockets and covers for 2-56 screws.  I installed Kadee #148 couplers with Fastenal 2-56 x 3/16” screws.  Next, I cut off the air reservoir and moved it to the Santa Fe transverse position as can be seen in the above photos.  The brake cylinder, control valve  and brake levers were left as molded.  I added the piping, Tichy Train Group (Tichy) .010” phosphor bronze wire (PBW) from the air reservoir to the control valve and brake rods Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter phosphor bronze wire.  The brake cylinder rod chain is A-Line 40 links per inch.

Tank Car underbody.
(Click or tap on this or any other photo to enlarge)

Next, I needed  to correct some of the tank problems.  The major problem the 12” dome height.  Tony Thompson increased the dome height for some SP tank cars using a portion of another Athearn tank car dome.  I felt casting a dome might be easier.  I found the Varney, later Life-Like, to have the proper dome height and made a mold of the Varney dome and cast a resin dome.

Mold being made.

Resin cast dome out of mold.

No harm done to master.

I cut the dome off the tank car with a Xacto fine tooth razor saw and installed the new 24 inch dome.  The dome could easily be sanded to a get a 22 inch or less dome height.  I liked the result and having a mold I can duplicate the dome for other Athearn tank cars.  Yes, the manway is too large and hinges too tall on the Varney dome.  You can remove these and replace them with parts of proper size from Tichy #3007, Tank Car Detail Set.

New cast resin dome added to tank car.

I had already removed the handrails and molded on stanchions on the tank.  I did not have Precision Scale #32110, brass or 32110-1, plastic stanchions or Tichy plastic stanchions in the Tank Car Detail Set in inventory.   Not having any of the three preferred stanchions, I used Precision Scale #374, 3.5 mm long stanchions which I did have and bent them upward with a needle nose pliers.  A last resort method that would work if necessary in the future.

For the handrails, rather than using brass or PBW as on other tank cars I have built, I wanted to try flora wire.   I threaded .018” floral wire through the stanchion holes on each side and joined them inside the stanchion mounted on the tank end.   I quickly found the floral wire I like to use for a train line is a poor choice for the handrails as too soft allowing it to bend easily.  Lesson learned.

Floral wire for handrails is not a good choice.

Other changes on the tank car included removing one of the two rivet rows on the tank  next to the dome via scraping and sanding.  Next, I carved off molded on grab irons and replaced them with grab irons I bent from Tichy #1101 .010” PBW.   I installed a Kadee Ajax brake wheel to replace the kit one.  Plastic ladders from a Roundhouse Products Model Die Casting Inc. 50 ft. tank car kit shortened to fit were used rather than the metal kit ladders.

Double sill steps with angle brace were added next.  I cut off the molded on sill steps.   I bent a sill step from Detail Associates #2524 .010” x .030” flat brass bar stock and attached them to the car.  Next, I cut strips .030” wide  with a Xuron 9180 scissor like cutter ( in my opinion a wonderful tool for cutting thin sheet brass) to create the step in the double step sill and the side angle brace from .005” sheet brass.  A cut strip was used to bend the double step with a needle nose pliers and glued into the previously installed sill step.  A sill step angle brace attached to the sill step at the middle and the end sill was also cut from a strip and installed.  The sill step with angle brace fabrication went well using super glue rather than soldering as I have always done in the past.

Double sill step and Kadee brake wheel.

I still needed to add uncoupling levers.  An uncoupling lever bracket was made with a styrene angle, cut from Plastruct #9501, 3/64" styrene angle,  glued to the double sill step with the angle facing outward and drilled with #79 drill to make a hole into which a Detail Associates #2206,  eye bolt was installed.   An uncoupling lever bent from Tichy #1106, .0125” PBW was installed using the made bracket and gluing the end in a hole drilled in the bottom of the couple pocket cover.

Uncoupling lever bracket and uncoupling lever.

The final details to be installed were the diamond metal shaped placard boards in the kit and forged flanges for the tank head (the round item at the top of the tank on the end).

The car parts not already hand painted with Vallejo Black 70.950 were now painted. Once dry a coat of Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 was applied to get a match sheen on car and decal application on ends.

Car painted and sprayed with Gloss for decal base.

Decals for ends were made with Clover House Railroad Roman Alphabet Condensed Bold White #9600-11 dry transfers applied to decal paper and coated with MicroScale Liquid Decal Film.  The decals were applied with MicroScale Micro Sol.  When decals were dry, the car body was sprayed with Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.580 to protect dry transfers and decals during handling and for weathering.

End decals with reporting marks and numbers applied.

I weathered the tank car with Pan Pastels and makeup brushes using the following colors: Payne’s Grey Extra Dark 840.1 and Burnt Sienna 740.5.

Car weathered with Pan Pastels.

Once I had the tank car weathered I printed a car card and placed A.T.S.F. 100801 in service.   I took a photo of it sitting at Meyer Oil in Northfield, Minn. served by Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, “Serving Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

A.T.S.F. tank 100801 sitting on Meyer Oil siding in Northfield, Minn.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer