Whalebelly Tank Car real prototype photos

At last!

Here is the 60' LPG "Whale Belly" Tank Car prototype.

The prototype kit is in three pieces which fit together peg-in-hole.

It has four problems we are correcting by manufacturing a single,
rather than three piece kit with etched metal walkways and railings.

First, the Acrylic walkways at 0.003" tolerance are too thin and
deform in manufacture. They will be replaced by etched steel.

Second, the railings as an integral part of the walkway etching will
be easier to mount to the body.

Third, the closure fit at the joints compared to the single body seams
are too gross(each side having a half-seam supposedly hides the joint
within the seam - wrong!).

Last, the alignment of the truck bolsters MUST be correct in BOTH the
horizontal and vertical planes. The potential for mis-alignment using
three pieces is too great. A single body piece eliminates this potential.

Please remember, this is our first rail car, and we want to get it right.

Without the price for etching, decals, and the single piece
manufacture, we cannot provide a final cost estimate. Please be patient.

We are confident that we can deliver the kits before the end of
this year. The RTR units may take a bit longer.

As always, your positive comments and critiques are welcome.

Jim

 

Jim, looks awesome! I'mlooking forward to seeing the finished one-piece prototype. Searails has some excellent stuff, and once I actually get started on my layout again, I'll be right up there to get alot of stuff.

Very promising, and I look forward to your next cars

Regards,
Dan MacKellar

 

would you mind posting a larger photo? this isn't yahoo ... we have the space here

 

Thanks Rob I've been a member here for awhile, just reregistered and have been in lurk mode for awhile. I'm on the Yahoo group, and I'm currently deciding whether to go ahead w/my plan to model the Alaska RR in Z or to go with a different prototype