As some of you may know I am into N scale and I model SP off and on. My next unit train is going to be a loosely modeled off of SP's tank train. I am using Atlas's 33,000 gallon tank car (around 60 of them all together) and I have to strip, paint them all black, and then decal all of them. My cars will have GATX reporting marks and will say "Tank Train" right above the reporting marks in orange tank train lettering. First off, does any one have pics of this train? What kind of power was used from 1995 to 1999 (or when ever the train stopped running...I think it has...right?). Any other info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Glad to hear you want to model the oilcans, Craig...it's a cool train to model. As far as power was concerned in the nineties, six-axle SP/SSW/DRGW EMD's were common (SD40T-2, SD45T-2/T-2R, SD45R, SD40R, and SD40M-2's). DRGW SD50's were also seen; these and the SD40M-2's became common in the mid-nineties. Into the UP era, AC power started to show up, with SP/UP AC4400's and UP SD9043MAC's appearing. The cans stopped running over Tehachapi in late 1996, thanks to a new loadout facilty being built near Mojave; a new pipeline later killed that run altogether. A new "coast cans" was started (in 1996?, IIRC), where oil is transported from a loadout in San Ardo (on the Coast Line) to a facility in the Long Beach harbor area. This train is still in operation; I caught the empties leaving Dolores a couple weeks ago. The cars are the same, although I've seen a few stenciled "San Ardo Service", and the power nowadays are usually UP high-hp, AC units. As far as train length, it was around 72-or-so cars long, with the cars (usually) in interconnected sets of 12. I took a few detail shots of the cars when I saw them recently; when I get the film back and scanned, I'll be glad to send you some pics, if you're interested. That's all the info I can think of for know; I'm sure there are others who can provide details or corrections. [ 13 May 2001: Message edited by: Mankind ]
Yesterday our Ford Kentucky Truck Plant received SP 615525 and SP 615528. Both are in Tuscan! Also saw a clean MOPAC Eagle Auto Parts car but that goes on another board.
