I just purchased a couple of the new American Limited Models tank cars. These models represent the GATC 16,000 gallon tank car.I must say these are pretty nice cars. These are some of the nicest detailed tanks I have. I purchased the NP 102018 and the SPS 38618. The cars appear to be pretty much identical
Lots of nice details but also the paint jobs are crisp and the various stencils and markings are impressive.
With magnification you can see even the smallest writing is readable. I don't normally carry a magnifying glass to try to read the COTS stencils when I am running trains but it is nice to know you could. If you are able to zoom in not only are the stencils readable but they are appropriate for the individual car. For example the SPS car above was re-lubed by the SPS in Oct of 1971, It was built in September of 1949 and re tared by the SP&S in November of 1963. The NP car has similar detail. Another thing on these cars is that the have ACI labels and yellow wheel inspection dots. Perfect for my 1970s time period. That is a really nice touch you don't see a lot of manufacturers do.
All the wheelsets are in gauge. Three of the four couplers are at the perfect height. The B end on the NP car is slightly low on the Kadee height gauge. And I do mean slightly as you can see in the photo. They appear to be metal couplers painted a rust color. Also they have shelf couplers typical of tank cars.
The only real complaint I have is that both cars are about an ounce light per NMRA recommended practice.A seven inch car should be 4.5 ounces according to RP 20.1
If you want more information on the National Model Railroad Association standards and recommended practices see their web page at: https://www.nmra.org/index-nmra-standards-and-recommended-practices
These cars are stenciled for the late 70s given the ACI labels and the
wheel inspection dots. I found a picture of NP 102018 on the
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net web site. The picture is from 1979 as
this car is a very close match. except the model no where near as dirty.
I did not finds pics of SPS 38618 but I did find pics of other cars in
the series that looked to be a very close match to the model. From the pics I found online it looks like at least some cars from the SPS series made it into the late 90s in MOW service. Overall these are great cars for the price. The weight is the only complaint as I don't see any way to open the cars to add weight. I would recommend. Also If anyone has any ides for adding weight please leave a comment.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteTo add weight I'd drill a hole big enough for lead shot - probably
along side of the frame and about 1 inch from the bolster. Get shot
inside, add enough white glue that you get the lead 'covered' with it by rolling the lead into the glue (tipping car this way and that),
seal it up with a piece of styrene (perhaps cut a squarish section
instead of drilling and reuse that?), fill any minor gaps and level
to shape of tank ... and then weather it until the 'patch' disappears.
I weight my cars to "NMRA plus one ounce" - although that increases the pulling requirements of the locos I find it makes the cars track better.
Before you add weight - run the cars and see if they are prone to coming off the rails or causing other problems. Often lighter cars are just fine (operate well).
- Jim
Jim that is an interesting idea for added weight. I will see how they track for awhile and I might try that if I have any issues.
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