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New PRODUCT: GA 1917-Design 8,000 Gallon Insulated Radial Course Tank Car

Live from the STL RPM in Collinsville IL: Tangent Scale Models is proud to introduce our next ALL-NEW freight car replica, the General American 8,000 Gallon 1917-Design Insulated Radial Course Tank Car. Note the use of the word “insulated” – this is the first plastic insulated radial course tank offered in HO plastic! (Radial course means the tank’s steel panels overlap each other, looking like “stairsteps”).

By the end of World War I, U.S. production of oil and oil-related products was sharply increasing thanks to the combination of war-related demands as well as demands from home. In order to move oil and “new” consumer products, tank car producers introduced new car designs. In 1917 General American Tank Car introduced a new general service 8,000 gallon non-insulated tank car (a prototype for which we released a model in November 2016 with a few still in stock), and quickly followed that production with an insulated 8,000 gallon tank car, which utilized a “jacket” that surrounded the tank and dome. Built in East Chicago, IN, these insulated cars were easily identifiable by their circumferential rivets that surrounded the tank body, with notably different heights between the courses, and with their “recessed ends”. These “radial course” tank cars utilized steel bolster plates that rise up vertically to hold the tank in place, complete with a “web” section behind to minimize steel consumption. At a time of fairly monochromatic box cars plying the rails, these insulated tank cars carried consumable products, and they were typically stenciled for lessees advertising consumer products such as gasoline, wine, and corn products. The GATC 1917-design family were the most prolific tank cars built during this period and were found everywhere from 1917 to roughly 1970.

The Tangent Scale Models GATC 1917-Design 8,000 Gallon Insulated Tank Car is a highly-detailed tank car model that includes details accurate for each paint scheme, including KC- or AB-brake variations, with or without Cardwell draft sill springs, and different hand brakes. Other visually-distinctive details for our models include the “see through” bolster section, circumferential rivets, and differing course heights. Our RTR models include correct “true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering including 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.

Our new ready to operate replicas are available for sale now at www.tangentscalemodels.com and we are selling a small batch of these cars at the STL RPM Meet in Collinsville IL, June 23-24.

These replicas will certainly be eye-catchers on your layout! Check out the radial courses – they look like nothing else in HO! Our first stunning release includes the following three paint schemes:

– GATX “Roma Wine California” 1940+ has a silver-painted carbody with red and black (shadowing) “ROMA WINE” stenciling, which additionally includes stenciling for the cities Roma Wine loaded from: Lodi, Manteca, Fresno, and Healdsburg CA. As always, this scheme comes directly off of a prototype car that matches our model. Roma’s advertisements claimed their wine was “made in California for enjoyment throughout the world,” and these tank cars delivered wine to receivers nationwide, making them broadly applicable to almost every railroad in North America. Our ROMA WINE 1940+ replicas come with era-correct K-brakes and they are available in four road numbers.
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– VGOX “Virginian Gas Charleston W.VA.” 1933+ has a black-painted carbody with “Virginia Gasoline & Oil Company, Charleston W.VA.” stenciled in white on the side of the car. These cars come with era-correct K brakes, and our Virginia Gas 1933+ stunners are available in three road numbers.
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– WRNX “Warren Tulsa OK” 1950+ with beautiful “WARREN” graphics on the side of the light gray carbody, plus mention of “TULSA OKLA” as the home town for the cars. Warren Petroleum was a producer and distributor of LPG and gasoline, and these cars were “gasoline fleet” tanks. This car is accurately stenciled for the 1950 photo that shows on our website, which is based upon the small brake stencil and tank psi test lettering. The car’s other lettering shows a 1920 car build date. The expansion dome is painted green like the prototype, and includes the distinctive “W” Warren logo. These cars are complete with an era-appropriate AB-brake system, again matching the photo on the Tangent site. These stunning cars are available in six road numbers, so don’t miss out!
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– Undecorated RTR Black cars are painted black and are ready for decaling!
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– Undecorated Unpainted Kits are available as well. When you gripe that “no one” makes kits anymore, well, here they are. These are ready for building or kitbashing, and paint and decals. These are great for those who desire to build their own.

Features for these awesome replicas include:
– Circumferential riveted tank body and riveted underframe (count ‘em, there are many!)
– Radial course tank body – note the “stairstep” appearance!
– All-new underframe for the GATC 1917-design
– “See-through” cast knee above the bolsters
– Accurate dome appliances
– Dimensionally-correct hazardous placards with accurate hole detail
– Separately applied tank handrail
– Separately applied tank strap detail
– KC- or AB- brake variations depending on the prototype car
– Inclusion of Cardwell draft sill springs depending on the prototype car, otherwise “oval” frame openings where the springs were removed
– Different hand brake appliance options depending on the prototype car
– Highly correct “true to life” colors
– “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement, including lettering applied to the underframe and air reservoir
– Durable wire grab irons and coupler lift bars
– Separate air hoses
– “Near-scale” draft gear box with side detail
– Kadee® “scale-head” couplers
– CNC-machined 33” wheels in high-quality Tangent Scale Models ASF cast steel truck with spring plank and with separate brake beams
– Replacement semi-scale wheels available separately from Tangent
– Multiple road numbers for each scheme – these cars often traveled in “groups” of more than one
– Recommended age 14 years and older

Don’t miss out on the Tangent Scale Models General American 8,000 gallon 1917-design radial course tank car! Just like its prototype, this car will stand out on any layout situated from 1917 to 1970, and they went everywhere!

Pricing for RTR models is $44.95. High-resolution images showing these fine replicas are available by clicking here and our site also includes prototype images for your reference as well.

That wraps up our update for today, and thank you for supporting the family-owned businesses in our industry!

David Lehlbach