09-25-2014, 09:46 AM
The Walthers Train Line tank is a knockoff of the Athearn bluebox single-dome tank car die work. This in turn represents a car of about 13,000 gallon capacity built by GATX about 1930. The biggest problem is that the dome is too small for the car's capacity, but that can be overlooked (I do). At one point, Detail Associates offered a white metal replacement dome for the Athearn car. This is big for a tank car of that period, since most were 8,000 or 10,000 gallon capacity, especially those used in gasoline or fuel oil service. The closest prototypes were used by UP, SP, and Santa Fe in Bunker C oil service for steam locomotives, although SP also had some lettered for "distillate" for the earliest diesel City streamliners.
In the early phase of the Athearn RTR line, they offered their version of this same car as Santa Fe and MKT (at least) diesel fuel cars, which I have and like a great deal. As a post above shows, this is also credible for a Conrail diesel fuel car.
I have two of the Walthers Trainline tanks, one lettered for the Bakers Chocolate scheme with the colonial lady on a white car, and one for British Columbia Ry diesel oil service. The BCOL is more credible. While Walthers Trainline cars are pretty basic and tend to preserve the errors inherent in c 1960 die work, I really like the well done paint schemes, so I do have some.
In the early phase of the Athearn RTR line, they offered their version of this same car as Santa Fe and MKT (at least) diesel fuel cars, which I have and like a great deal. As a post above shows, this is also credible for a Conrail diesel fuel car.
I have two of the Walthers Trainline tanks, one lettered for the Bakers Chocolate scheme with the colonial lady on a white car, and one for British Columbia Ry diesel oil service. The BCOL is more credible. While Walthers Trainline cars are pretty basic and tend to preserve the errors inherent in c 1960 die work, I really like the well done paint schemes, so I do have some.