Shippers Car Line Tank Cars 15345, 15348 &15362

Since I had just finished the build of two CB&Q Box Cars I thought I would choose an easy build or builds for the next project.   In the to build cabinet were three Red Caboose 10,000 gallon welded tank car kits , ICC type 103W  (w = welded), kit number RC-3040-1.  The Red Caboose kits were Data only kits; that is they were manufacture painted with tank data applied in white lettering.  All I would have to do is assemble the kits and add the Shippers Car Line Corp. name , reporting marks and number making for, in my opinion, easy builds.  And, two of the kits had been in the cabinet since 1996 and the third since 2002 so definitely time to get the tank cars built and into service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company.

Before starting assembly of the kits, research had been done to choose numbers to finish lettering on the kits.  The car kit data lettering told me these tank cars were built by American Car & Foundry Company (AC&F Co.) 

Red Caboose Data
(click on this or any image to enlarge)

Lettering shows Built by AC&F Co.

Upon looking at AC&F Company photos of black tank cars with white data lettering in sources I had, I felt the Shippers Car Line Corp. road name was my best choice.  A National Model Railroad Association reproduction of the January 1953 Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER) showed these cars had an American Railroad Association, or ARA, classification of TM.   After checking numerous class TM series and associated notes of each series in the 1953 ORER, I found series 15322 to 15362 were type ICC-103W.  A check of car numbers in this series in the United States, Canadian And Mexican Railroads,  Freight Tariff 300-H, Showing Capacities of Tank Cars effective September 30,1955 (W.J. Preterm, Agent) showed these cars had a 10,000 plus shell capacity and dome capacity of  444 gallons.

A search for a prototype photo of 10,000 gallon tank car, type ICC-103W provided no photo.   All photos I found were of 8,000 gallon tank cars.  The best photos I was able to find of type ICC-103W tank cars were of SHPX 22540 and 22578, both 8,000 gallons, in Tank Cars American Car & Foundry Company, 1865 to 1955 (Edward S. Kaminski, 2003,  Published by Signature Press).  These two cars built in 1952 have AB brakes mounted as molded on the frame in the Red Caboose kits.  In addition to photos, this book has tank cars diagrams showing Details of Standard AC&F Co. Steel Tank Car Design.

Red Caboose molded underframe with AB brakes.

A photo of SHPX 7673, ICC-103W, also a 8,000 gallon tank appears in the Car Builders’ Cyclopedia 1949-1951 (Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 1949).   This car built in the late forties has the AB brakes mounted as common in prior years built tank cars.

Photo from 1949-1951 Car Builders' Cyclopedia

My build of these tank cars, built per instructions with very few changes, began with coupler boxes and truck kingpins on frame drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws.  Coupler boxes with Kadee #148 couplers inserted were installed with Fastenal 2-56 x 3/16 inch screws.   Trucks provided in the kit with InterMountain 33 inch metal wheels inserted were installed with Athearn #99006, 2-56 x 1/2 inch screws.  Trucks were to have InterMountain 33” semi-scale .088 metal wheels sets installed later.

Couplers and trucks installed.

Weighting the tank cars to 3.8 ounces with different ways was next.  On the first tank car I used sheet lead strips glued inside of bottom tank section and stick on tire weights mounted above.  After some thought a better method was used for the second tank car.  I cut twelve strips of .020 sheet lead strips cut 3 1/2 x 1/2 inches that were glued inside the bottom tank section on the second car.  And for the third tank car still a better method.  Why cut twelve strips of sheet lead when six of .040 sheet lead cut to 3 1/2 x 1/2 inches would do.  All sheet lead strips were glued inside of the tank bottom section with Permatex Clear Silicone Adhesive.  And, the two tank cars with sheet lead strips had mounts cut from kit sprues (gate) to keep them vertical.

Three methods used to weight tank cars to 3.8 ounces.

Once the tank cars had weight inserted the tank halves were glued together and glued to the frame using MEK for the adhesive.  The tank cars were ready for install of tank car detail parts.

Car ready for install of tank car detail parts.

Now, the dome safety valves, manhole cover, dome platforms, tank handrail and tank bottom outlet, all kit parts, were installed.

Initial detail parts

Before installing the handrail I decided it would be best to install the the kit tank band ends with turnbuckles.  On the underside of the tank frame the tank outlet valve was installed.  Install of tank band ends with turnbuckles provided in the kit followed.  On the underside of the frame holes for the tank band ends (extensions) were drilled in the bolsters near the running board with holes coming out on the bolster top cover on the bolster web.

Holes drilled in bolster ends near running board.

Tank Car band ends with turnbuckle installed.

Next the kit handrail, .018” diameter, was installed.   The better size handrail would have a .019” diameter which I have installed on past upgraded tank cars using Detail Associated .019” diameter brass wire.  The molded on handrail brackets (stanchions) are the old open style.   An upgrade which I chose not to do could be done by cutting off the molded on handrail brackets and installing Precision Scale or other manufacturer handrail stanchions.  

Handrail installed.

However, later in the build the ends of the handrail brackets were enclosed around the inserted handrail using MEK Goop.

Handrail brackets closed with MEK Goop.

Install of additional kit parts were, ladders, sill steps, and brake wheel.  The kit plastic brake shaft was replaced with a .015” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW) one, cut from Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #1102, .015” diameter PBW.  The top of the brake wheel was positioned six feet above the track rail as shown above in tank car diagrams in book above.  

Ladders, sill steps and brake wheel to be installed.

Install of wire grab irons bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW, followed.  When grab irons install was finished the uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 PBW and eye bolt brackets bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW were installed.

Wire grab irons and uncoupling levers installed.

Wire grab irons and uncoupling levers installed.

Brake shaft and uncoupling levers.

The tank cars were ready for the paint shop.

Two of the three tank cars ready for paint.

All detail parts added were hand painted Vallejo Model Color Black 70.950.   Once dry tank cars were airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish 70.510, to provide a gloss decal base.

After drying overnight, decals were applied.  Protocraft Decal sets, SHPX-1 (1:87),  were used to apply the following:  road name, reporting marks, stripes and car numbers.

Protocraft Decals used for lettering.

The car numbers used on the tank cars had to be pieced together from extra numbers available on a decal set.   Photos of SHPX tank cars  in books mentioned above were used as a guide to apply decals.

Decals were soaked off in distilled water and applied to the car body where MicroScale Micro Set had been applied with a brush.   After the decal was applied in the Micro Set and positioned the edges had MicroScale Micro Sol applied.  Any excess solution was sucked away with the torn edge of a paper towel.  Again when dry, car body sprayed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish 70.510 to better hide edges of decals and protect decals during handling.  Again when dry, the car body was sprayed with Model Master Acryl, #4636, flat to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.

Decals applied.

One more step before putting tank cars 15345, 15348 and 13562 into service was to weather the cars with Pan Pastels.  Pan Pastels used were Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1 applied over the entire car body and frame with a makeup brush and Burnt Sienna Shade 740.3 applied to tank bands and trucks with a micro applicator. 

Tank Cars weathered with Pan Pastels.

Tank Cars weathered with Pan Pastels.

Shippers Car Line tanks cars 15345, 15348 and 13562 were ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for each tank car, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company.  However,  the car card was not the final step for putting the Shippers Car Line Tank Cars in service.   The final step for Tank Cars is to change the wheel sets to InterMountain 33 inch semi-scale .088 wheel set.   The wheel sets were changed after photos of tank cars on railroad Chicago Great Western (CGW) were taken.

InterMountain semi-scale wheel sets installed.

Tank cars sitting on Chicago Great Western
Interchange ready for service.

Tank cars sitting on Chicago Great Western
Interchange ready for service.

Tank cars sitting on Chicago Great Western
Interchange ready for service.

Tank cars sitting on Chicago Great Western
Interchange ready for service.

Tank cars sitting on Chicago Great Western
Interchange ready for service.

I want to say, “Thank You” to John Hile, for making me aware of the Protocraft Shippers’ Car Line decal set.  John responded to my post on RealSTMFC asking who had Shippers’ Car Line Corp. decals available.

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 sign your comment with your name if you choose to leave one.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

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