Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

This review appeared in the June, 2002 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman Magazine. Reproduced with permission of Carstens Publications.

17,360 GALLON CHLORINE TANK CAR: HO SCALE

Review by: STUART STREIT

Atlas continues to expand its line of HO scale tank cars, this time choosing to replicate a modern-ear chlorine service car. The DOT 105A 500 W tank car specification for chlorine tank cars has an interesting history and can be traced all the way back to the beginning of the twentieth century.

As governed by the initial railroad-formulated rules, tank cars designed for the transport of toxic commodities were termed “Class V,” to be read as “class five.” Among the initial guidelines were forge-welded tanks, four inches of insulation, and a minimum test pressure of 300 p.s.i. Upon the adoption of certain tank car design criteria by U.S. federal authorities, a “100” prefix was added to the class number. Thus an ARA (the precursor to today’s AAR) Class V became an ICC 105.

With the 1967 transition from the Interstate Commerce Commission to the Department of Transport came the DOT prefix; the “A” is a place holder, while the ”W” suffix was added when fusion welding of tanks became an accepted industry practice in the early 1940’s and was retained by the DOT.

Specifically, the Atlas model replicates a DOT 105A 500 W class pressure tank car. The specification can be explained as follows: DOT: Department of Transport, the U.S. government regulatory body (the Canadian equivalent is Transport Canada); 105A: Insulated pressure cars without an expansion dome; 500: Test pressure of the tank (tank cars with a test pressure above 100 p.s.i. are termed “pressure cars”). W: Fusion-welded, bottom outlet or washout prohibited.

Tank cars are sized to suit commodity densities such that the weight of the loaded product together with the empty weight (so-called lightweight, stenciled LT WT on the car) does not exceed the allowable gross rail limit. The gross rail limit for a 70-ton nominal capacity is 220,000 lbs. And for 100 tons, 263,000 lbs. Volume is a function of both product density and product characteristics. In the case of chlorine, maximum shipping weight is also federally controlled. For railroad tank cars the Federal limit is 90 tons, or approximately 17,000 U.S. gallons. The limit is also a function of gross rail load, and tank cars sized to transport 55 tons or 85 tons have also been constructed.

One further influence on chlorine service tank cars comes from The Chlorine Institute. According to their web page (www.cl2.com) “The Chlorine Institute, Inc., founded in 1924, is a trade association of companies and other entities that are involved or interested in the safe production, distribution and use of chlorine, sodium and potassium hydroxides, and sodium hypochlorite, and the distribution and use of hydrogen chloride. The Institute has 240 members located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and overseas countries.”

Because of design considerations and Chlorine Institute influence, most chlorine tank cars appear very similar, regardless of builder. DOT 105A 500 W cars are not restricted to chlorine service but are limited to commodities with similar densities and properties. Another common commodity in these cars is sulphur dioxide. Virtually all DOT 105-suitable commodities are compressed gasses, i.e., liquid only under pressure, and the insulation applied to the car serves to limit the amount of internal heating from ambient atmospheric conditions. A build-up of internal pressure together with other factors could lead to venting through the safety valve.

Imported from China, and characteristic of what Atlas continues to deliver, the new tank car is fully assembled, features above-average detail, superb paint with razor-sharp lettering, crisp die-work, and trucks with excellent rolling qualities. With each new release Atlas adds a new feature, and this time the upgrade is the hand brake chain detail.

I chose kit No. 1552-1, ACFX 77325, the black paint with orange stripe paint scheme. An explanation of the orange stripe or band is in order. Orange banding was a mid-1980’s initiative by Canadian regulators to provide a quick visual indication of pressure-type tank cars. The concept was that emergency responders would be able to quickly establish which tank cars could be involved in the transport of dangerous goods at the scene of a derailment. Pressure type cars typically transport the more hazardous and volatile types of commodities, such as chlorine, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). All eligible Canadian service tank cars, regardless of ownership, were required to be equipped with a one-foot wide orange band by mid-1990. U.S. regulators did not adopt a similar strategy and eventually the Canadian requirement was dropped, but not until after several hundred cars had been “banded.” Part of the opposition to the orange band was that if a fire occurred the visual indicator would be lost, possibly causing even more potential danger to emergency crews.

The model compares very favorably with the key dimensions I was able to locate for the car. For example, the prototype’s truck centers of 36 feet were spot on. The jacket diameter, as opposed to the tank diameter, scales out at 110”. With an insulation thickness of 4”, the corresponding outside tank diameter would be 102”.

Once again the characteristic ACF inset jacket head detail is nicely captured. Instead of individual jacket weld seams, the jacket sheets are molded in an authentic overlapping pattern. The “overlap” is perhaps somewhat too prominent, though appropriately in six-foot width sections. I took a stab at measuring the molded overlap, obtaining readings from .005” to .008”. This would correspond to an actual thickness ranging from 7/16” to 5/8”. Prototype jacket thickness is 1/8” and if accurately replicated would most likely disappear even with the most carefully applied paint. Nonetheless, Atlas is to be commended for their research and effort to accurately capture the jacket detail.

The non-prototypical joint between the upper and lower portions of the model tank is once again noticeable, though less so in black paint. Were I to work from an undecorated kit I would try to gingerly fill in the gap with putty and sand it smooth.

As previously mentioned, most chlorine service tank cars are very similar in appearance and dimension, and thus the Atlas model could serve as a very good starting point for the kit-bashing of a competitor’s (to ACF) car. For example, revising the head seam detail and changing the body bolster geometry to pipe style would result in a very authentic Union Tank Car-built car.

All of the appropriate stencils are included, some with scale-sized lettering that is so small a magnifying glass is needed to see it. Even the information contained within the Consolidated Stencil is legible. One absentee decoration item is the placard information. Curiously, the ACFX white with black center band version of the model (No. 1553-1, -2) includes the appropriate “1017” identification number on the delicate placard holders, though not the complete placard stenciling. By rule, empty (so-called “residue” cars) and loaded cars must be equipped with placards. When a tank car is empty and completely clean, Federal law requires that the placards be removed and any commodity-related information, including commodity stencil, be covered up. In comparing stencil information on the model to its identically numbered prototype (as can be found on the website www.bnsf.com), I discovered a couple of stencil inaccuracies. In fairness, empty weight can change and all of the figures included are completely authentic. Especially impressive is the correct LD LMT METRIC conversion of 81648kg, an AAR Tank Car Manual rule requirement. Tank and safety valve test dates include the correct two-year due dates. Overall, paint and stencil quality is once again above average.

Magnetic AccuMate couplers, compatible with other brands of magnetic knuckle couplers, are included with the traditional horn-hook X2f variety (supplied separately in a small package). Trucks, retained by small Phillips screws, consist of well-detailed, one-piece, cast plastic sideframes together with scale 36” chemically-darkened metal wheelsets. The wheelsets feature RP-25 contour flanges and all were exactly in gauge. Weighting of the car to exactly the recommended NMRA practice (4.25 oz), contributes to the superb rolling quality.

The wire side safety rails, which run from the tank bolster web to tank bolster web, are of scale size and cleverly held in place by the car’s geometry, together with delicate cast supports. The car’s side ladders and top platform are plastic castings with above average detail. Unlike the initial kaolin tank car model of a few years ago, the tread material in the top platform is not “see-through.” The molded-plastic, top operating platform railings are of scale diameter. Formed wire end platform handrails are scale size. Other detail casting on the car include brake rigging, as noted with a handbrake chain, and, on the end platform, a brake control valve and reservoir complete with simplified piping. In the same manner as Atlas’s LPG tank car, the train line is cast flat against the underside of the tank. Replacing this, along with the molded-on grab irons above the sill steps, with wire is really all that is left for the super detailer to do. Could we hope that this will be the upgrade Atlas will include on their next tank car release? (Hint, hint!)

In conclusion, as we have come to expect from this line of tank cars, all of the tooling is outstanding. Once again Atlas has chosen a widely-used prototype that can be accurately decorated with dozens of appropriate paint schemes. Modern-era tank car fans should rejoice in this latest offering! May it continue! The initial road names, with two numbers per name, include some with very nice authentic two-tone paint schemes. Initially offered are: undecorated’ ACFX black, Olin Chemical; ACFX black with orange stripe; ACFX white with black center band; Diamond Shamrock in white, black, blue, an red; Occidental/Hooker in gray, Hooker in orange, black and white; PPG in red and black; and Stauffer Chemical in gray and black. See your hobby shop; some road name may be sold out. The suggested retail price on the first run is $22.95 for decorated cars, $19.95 for undecorated cars.