Thinking about ESM MIA kit for ACF 8k 103-B Hooker acid tank

[bbussey]

I'm soliciting opinions ... I've got a couple of holes in the Made In America series of crasftsman kits that I want to fill.  The Low Side Gon is on target for a fall release, and the Lackawanna wood caboose is still in development but should make it to market early next year.  After that, there are some things in the pipeline but others that had to be dropped. 

So while looking for ideas, I came across a kitbashing article of a Resin Car Works 8,000 gallon acid tankcar decorated for Hooker.  The kit did well for RCW, and there are two Hooker variations that can be done with the same kit.  I've already devised a method to handle the un-uniform tolerances of an FUD wrapper with an etched metal wrapper, as well as having the coupler and the car sit at the proper height over the rail.  I'm at the point now where I have to submit decal artwork to Microscale for the LSG and I need to submit artwork for three projects on the same sheet in order to keep the cost reasonable, so I'm looking for an option to fill a third slot on the decal sheet that would hold some interest and has never been done before in N.

So my question is, how viable a project is this?  While it can be used for a number of ACF 8,000 gallon ICC 103-B acid tanks, the Hooker is the most colorful.  Thoughts?

http://blog.resincarworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/hodina_leave_model.jpg

http://resincarworks.com/images/model_kit1-05_hokx219.jpg

[Iain]

What was the era on this car and specifically this paint scheme?  What re-weigh, re-pack dates would you include for decals?

[sirenwerks]

I'd be in for a couple, especially if these cars made it into the later Hooker schemes - shadowed lettering with Hooker billboard and the more modern black and white H scheme (orange car body and black car body).

[JoeD]

I'm a freak for vintage tank cars, almost 150 065,000 from mtl and a few from other MFGs...so this one would be a must for me.  I'd buy two or three

I might be interested in more if you offered them undec or as a kit too.


Joe

[bbussey]

This would be a kit, to decorate the four Hooker cars in the series, two schemes.  It could be used to convincingly represent additional ACF 8k gallon ICC 103-B acid tanks built in the late 1930s, but these would be designed specifically to the two Hooker prototypes.  Built dates are 10/1937, 6/1939 and 12/1939.

[sd45elect2000]

Have you thought of having intermountain supply the cars and provide a plug and a new dome for the type 27 car they offer?

It looks like all that would need to be done is to sand off the rivets around the IM dome, plug it and install a new dome.

Personally, and please take this for what it is (just a stinking opinion) I would rather see something other than a type 27 ACF car. Perhaps a high or intermediate walkway car from Pressed steel or UTLX.

Here is a Bachmann 10,000 gallon tank on an intermountain underframe.

Randy Stahl

[GN Fan]

I would buy a couple of each scheme, especially if they were available with paint saying Tacoma, Washington.  Hooker had a large plant there and had cars decorated in an exactly the same scheme as Niagara, except they said Tacoma.  IM and Atlas have done cars with this Tacoma scheme as well as the Niagara.

tom Todd

[bbussey]

Have you thought of having intermountain supply the cars and provide a plug and a new dome for the type 27 car they offer?

No, because the model is not correct for the 103-B acid prototype.  In addition, the dome diameter is narrower on the acid tanks, so the IMRC model would not be adaptable.

This would be a kit, just as the Keyser Valley Caboose and G32C Gondola were.  I'm not looking to produce a ready-to-run item.  This will be a limited offering, same as the previous items in the series.  My query revolves around whether or not a 50-piece run would sell at $40-something a kit.

[bbussey]

I would buy a couple of each scheme, especially if they were available with paint saying Tacoma, Washington.  Hooker had a large plant there and had cars decorated in an exactly the same scheme as Niagara, except they said Tacoma.  IM and Atlas have done cars with this Tacoma scheme as well as the Niagara.

True.  But the four prototypes this kit would be based on were assigned to the Niagara plant, and Hooker had only four ACF 103-B 8,000 gallon acid tanks built to this design.  If they had bought them for the Tacoma plant, it certainly would have been a no-brainer to include that in the decals.

[Chris333]

I'd be interested 

[sirenwerks]

Nothing against the model chosen, but I do wish it were a later car line the Tangent acid car.

[bbussey]

The ACF 103-B 8,000 gallon acid tankcar has the advantage of lasting into the decline era. So it covers three of the four periods most people currently model.

I just checked — the Tangent model is the GATX 1949 8,000 gallon welded tankcar. So it's just a decade later. Me personally, since either ran in my era, I'd rather have the ACF 1937 riveted car. More intricate.

[Missaberoad]

No real interest in this prototype. That being said it does fit my theme more or less, and I would buy one to support the project.

[draskouasshat]

I'm in Bryan! I'm not certain that they made it to Cajon pass, but it would be a nice model throw in the mix. I'd be interested in all four downsizing on the era. I model 1947 so that's my limiting factor.

Adam Draskovich

[OldEastRR]

I'd be interested in getting one, unless cost overruns push the price up too high.