PLEASE NOTE: Our General American 1949-Design 8,000 Gallon Acid Welded Tank Cars are now sold out at Tangent Scale Models. To see the cars that are sold out but may be available in shops or on eBay, click here. We are now planning a new production of these 8,000 Gallon Acid Welded Tank Cars, which will happen at some point soon. Stay tuned to this site for more information, and please give us a chance to serve you.
Following World War II, specialized liquid shippers requested new special duty tank cars, and General American Transportation Corporation met their demands by producing specific-service cars such as this 8,000 gallon acid service tank car. At the same time, General American switched from a riveted underframe and riveted tank design to a welded underframe and tank. While General American’s factory in Sharon PA manufactured at least three different post-war versions of 8,000 gallon acid all-welded tank cars, these specific prototypes were produced between 1949 and 1960. Like all Tangent Scale Models offerings, these tank cars had long service lives, lasting well into the 1980s in revenue service. Acid service tank cars were commonly-seen nationwide, providing transportation for strong chemical compounds, such as hydrochloric (muriatic), hydrofluoric, phosphoric, and sulfuric acids. Acid tank cars were rubber-lined, featured one percent expansion domes on the top, and did not have bottom tank outlets.
The Tangent Scale Models General American 8,000 gallon ICC-103-B-W tank car is a visually-distinctive model that includes details accurate for each paint scheme. Note the distinctive small expansion dome at the top, surrounded by a beautifully-rendered “see-through” safety walkway. Our walkways along the side of the car are also “see-through” safety tread, just like their prototypes. As always, our correct “true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering includes 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.
These cars truly were nationwide roamers, hauling acids to manufacturing and other service customers far and wide. Here is the Diamond Alkali car, stenciled for Cleveland OH, but in Chicago IL transferring to another railroad at our nation’s largest rail interchange city.
Here is the Hooker Chemical Company car, stenciled for Hooker’s Niagara Falls, NY production plant.
Here is the “Petróleos Mexicanos” car at Hearne Texas, stenciled for muriatic acid service. Hearne hosted a tank car repair facility which still operates today.
Finally, while these cars were produced 1948-1960 or so, they lasted into the 1990s. Here is a hydrochloric acid-stenciled car that was painted in 1980, with the ACI label mounted in a new location off the car’s side walkway. Yes, we did it right on our model. This car also has “E.I. Dupont De Nemours and Company Lessee” stenciled on the car.
All of the above-pictured cars are available in model form.
Please click on the images at right for pricing, SKUs, high resolution photos, prototype photos, car number options, and/or to order!