Tank car construction

This forum is dedicated to Riding Scale Railroading with propulsion using other than steam (Hydraulics, diesel engines, gas engines, electric motors, hybrid etc.)

Moderator: Harold_V

Post Reply
cp4449
Posts: 569
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:54 am
Location: Granada Hills

Tank car construction

Post by cp4449 »

Is there a book or internet plans/instructions on how to build a tank car? Can you do it with PVC pipe? If so how to make the ends look right? Metal better?

Any help will be appreciated
Christopher P. Mahony
Los Angeles Live Steamers
1 inch scale member
User avatar
PRR5406
Posts: 873
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:12 pm
Location: Eastern Maine

Re: Tank car construction

Post by PRR5406 »

Depends on the scale and era of the car. We can give you drawings to work from, and PVC is fine, provided it is painted to deter UV deterioration. The frames are easy to knock up. If you are using your tank car to transport real liquid, you are going to want to install baffles to prevent slosh and a low drain point so the car can be cleaned. I have been chewing on constructing one as an auxiliary water supply. You can install a pump or rely on gravity as a feed. So...more details about the era and size of the car you want to create?
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."
RONALD
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

Re: Tank car construction

Post by RONALD »

Here is a tank car I bought from Mountain Car (now Titan Trains).

It came as a sort of plain vanilla PVC pipe on trucks, and I added a few details.
DSC_1043_2.jpg
DSC_1294_2.jpg
DSC_1323_2.jpg
RONALD
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

Re: Tank car construction

Post by RONALD »

Here is a tank car done by Dave Sartor who lives near Scranton, PA., and has a page on Face-Book.

Dave is a super hobbyist welder who will do special jobs if it pleases him.

I supplied Dave with photos of the Cook Paint Co. Tank Car at the Illinois RR Museum, and he did all the rest by welding up everything, and then painting and lettering.

He insisted on delivering it to me this May, because he had not been out my way since he was a recruit at Great Lakes Naval Base.

Dave did a superior job, and it was worth what it cost me.
DSC_1412.jpg
IMG_3705_2.JPG
F025E1D9-90D7-4F40-82BB-70D977459F3F_2.JPG
DSC_2722_2.JPG
Karl_Losely
Posts: 262
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:54 pm
Location: Ohio, Lake County

Re: Tank car construction

Post by Karl_Losely »

There is (or at least was) a vendor on DLS that was offering ends and dome lids for tank cars.
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Tank car construction

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Wow. Iam not a big fan of tank cars, but these above would be worth having! They look like works of art!

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
User avatar
cbrew
Posts: 3161
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 12:17 pm
Location: Vancouver Wa

Re: Tank car construction

Post by cbrew »

here is a freelance water car loosely based on the SP water cars.
its all steel, using sch 10 steel pipe. the ends are from https://www.tankheadexpress.com/
Attachments
1025512_10151760419473185_2090844509_o.jpg
If it is not live steam. its not worth it.
User avatar
Steggy
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: JB Pritzker’s Hellhole
Contact:

Re: Tank car construction

Post by Steggy »

cbrew wrote:here is a freelance water car loosely based on the SP water cars.
its all steel, using sch 10 steel pipe. the ends are from https://www.tankheadexpress.com/
Schedule 10 pipe? From there did you get that stuff?
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Music isn’t at all difficult.  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!  :D
User avatar
cbrew
Posts: 3161
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 12:17 pm
Location: Vancouver Wa

Re: Tank car construction

Post by cbrew »

BigDumbDinosaur wrote:
cbrew wrote:here is a freelance water car loosely based on the SP water cars.
its all steel, using sch 10 steel pipe. the ends are from https://www.tankheadexpress.com/
Schedule 10 pipe? From there did you get that stuff?
I fellow builder had a drop left over from his tank car builds.
I may have misspoke, it looks like it may have been sch 5. it was really close to the 11ga heads
a quick search yielded this http://www.standardne.com/STD%20NE%20PIPE%20CHART.pdf
If it is not live steam. its not worth it.
mattmason
Posts: 587
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:37 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Tank car construction

Post by mattmason »

Tank Cars from American Car & Foundry, 1865-1955

by Edward S. Kaminski

From Signature Press

Not plans, but has pictures of every type of car that ACF produced. Some good pictures in it.
Matt Mason
User avatar
dnevil
Posts: 373
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:19 am
Location: Springtown, Texas
Contact:

Re: Tank car construction

Post by dnevil »

Gary Brothers of Houston Live Steamers wrote a great article on how he builds tank cars:

http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?tit ... _Tank_Cars

Hope that helps.

Daris
Daris Nevil
IBLS Secretary
North American Region
http://www.ibls.org
Post Reply