MTL modern tank

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I received the 25k and 20K tanks from Atlas this week. Both models are great. I plan on lowering the 25k car using the underslung 100T trucks from the Thrall gondolas in place of the standard trucks. Other than that, no real complaints except for the new box shapes on the 20K cars. Really Atlas, do we need yet another box size? No, NO WE DON'T!

This got me thinking. Most manufacturers catalog their tank cars by prototype capacity:
Athearn 30K ethonol tank
Athearn 30K LPG tank
Atlas 30K LPG tank
Atlas 25K GP tank
Atlas 23.5K GP tank
Atlas 17.6K Corn Syurp tank
Atlas 17.3 Chlorine tank

But MTL call theirs a "56 Foot Modern tank"
Well gee, thats insightful. So what is it's capacity, and what prototype does the model represent?

[ljudice]

Good question...   Related question - when exactly did the "spreadsheet" data on the right side begin?  I am thinking sometime after 2001.

[lock4244]

Isn't the MTL modern tank car based on a prototype that was never built... or planned on paper?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The DOT qualification program started in 2001. The last cars were tested in 2008.

[Robbman]

The DOT qualification program started in 2001. The last cars were tested in 2008.

Actually started in 1998 for non-jacketed cars carrying hazardous materials, and 2000 for jacketed cars... and the last cars tested could have been yesterday, just depends on when the car was built and it's last test was, and what service it's in...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I thought they were to be complete by 2009. Was the program extended?
Robb, what are your thoughts on the MTL tank. What does it look closest to and what would be its capacity? It looks bulkier than the Atlas 23K car so I would guess somewhere around 25K?

[Denver Road Doug]

And while we're reaching, anything close to the MDC 50ft tank car?   ...MDC Shorty?   I have a few with GMM upgrades almost complete and was curious how to decorate them with something approximating reality.

[Robbman]

I thought they were to be complete by 2009. Was the program extended?

No... HM-201 calls for 5 and 10 year tank inspections, depending on service...

I don't have an MTL tanker, so I really don't know much about it. 

[RockGp40]

I thought they were to be complete by 2009. Was the program extended?

I thought it was to be an ongoing project. Although most of the tanks I deal with are haz-mats (LPG, anhydrous, phosphoric acid, benzoic, 1993, 1760, etc) , I get an occasional non placarded tank (animal talles, nitrogen, poly) and they all have the table.