Who do you ask??

[RS-27]

OK, I've been online since 1993 or so.  Been a member of the nscale email list (now on Yahoooooo) among others.

A couple/three years ago decided to investigate forums.  Here and Atlas and others.

Each has its own ambience/information base.  Each has it's acceptance criteria.  You may fit in one but not another.  You can find acceptance without information.  (Hey, that's great, you're the greatest modeler ever!!!,  whooo, hoo!!!) or maybe info only.

Being a masochist at heart, my stance is beat me........ but notice me.

So: tell me:  Well I just received my first MT 58' general service tank (joining the other 80+ tankers).

It was on ebay, heavily 'weathered', but at the price, I thought striping and repainting, etc would be justified.  Well, 30 minutes work with a toothbrush and detergent and it's 99.44% clean.  So here is my problem:  it says "painted 6-2006", my cutoff is mid 1980.  I can live with some anachronisms (it is an attractive car, and removal of the most egregious markings is possible, see below).

A) When did Procor get these tankers?  PROX 23303, it isn't in my 1979 ORER.  (Anyone have the July 1980 ORER?  (for sale?))

B) When did the safety stripes (scotchlite?) become common?

C) The COTS black box is fine, but when did the other info matrix show up on tankers?

In return for possible info, here is my tip for lettering removal:  A reasonably sharp blade (my scalpel is getting duller, but still works) held near vertically and with _very_ light pressure will often remove pad printing without abrading the under lying paint.  Depending on the car, I've also flattened the angle and almost sliced off the lettering. (This is riskier.)    A light erasure with a Pink Pearl or Staedtler Mars Plastic will clean off remainders.

A #11 style is fine for curved surfaces, a small curved blade for flat sides.

Bob in IDaho

[GonzoCRFan]

The yellow "Moron markings" that are now seen on many freight cars were only federally mandated last year.

[tom mann]

The yellow "Moron markings" that are now seen on many freight cars were only federally mandated last year.

Won't work for me, I usually turn off my headlights when I try to outrun a train at a grade crossing.

 

[Ian MacMillan]

The yellow "Moron markings" that are now seen on many freight cars were only federally mandated last year.

Won't work for me, I usually turn off my headlights when I try to outrun a train at a grade crossing.

 

[wiggum]Oh mygod! It's a ghost car! There's ghost cars all over these highways you know.[/wiggum]

[John]

Lets answer the questions ..

Look for the Blt date .. that would at least get you in the right era ..

You can also ask for info on the freightcars yahoo list .. there is something called an UMLER which a number of folks seem to have access to .. that has that kind of info in it ..

Also .. http://tankcarhomepage.railfan.net/

Tim Frederick runs it .. he is also on freight cars .. Tim is an expert in this area

[3rdrail]

UMLER stands for Universal Machine Language Equipment Register. It is the ORER and much more residing in the AAR's database managed by Railinc in Cary, NC. Prior to 9/11/01 it could be accessed by almost anyone through the Class I's car tracing systems. But, it is now password protected on an HTTPS site and can only be accessed by someone preapproved by a Class I. So, railroad employees and rail shipper employees still have access.

It will show the date built and any previous reporting marks for each car, unlike the ORER. That car type first appeared in the mid to late 1960's.