Speedwitch Tank Car book

Discussion in 'Tank Cars' started by TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020), Mar 18, 2012.

  1. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Speedwitch's tank car book caught my eye. The Culotta and Kline Postwar Freight Car Fleet book looks attrctive also. Too bad it's sold out.

    Tom G.
     
  2. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Accurail box cars

    Tom - I have the t/c book, glad I got it as since I'm a chemical industry guy ..... t/c's are a favorite. It's mainly a picture book, b/w, spiral bound, 168 pages. Lots of good info in the captions and the brief text, though. Mostly private owner cars in the pics - GATX, SHPX, etc, plus owner companies. Great variety. Interestingly, the very first pic in the book is SLSF 190383, one of the early ACF fuel oil cars with the dual top railing and end ladders. It was built in 1910; the pic shows the car after a fresh repaint in 1948, small coonskin directly below the yellow dome.

    A pic of the HO Roundhouse "old timer" t/c, which rides up on top of the frame, is in there, too.

    Ken
     
  3. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Accurail box cars

    I like them "pitcher" books, I couldn't resist, I already ordered it.

    Tom G.
     
  4. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Accurail box cars

    Terry -

    I just flipped through the t/c book (have not read it yet) and see eight NATX t/c's covered. Two or three are wine cars, the others are chemical t/c's of various types.

    The book is organized by builder.

    Ken
     
  5. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

  6. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Accurail box cars

    Terry - There are three or four DX tank cars pictured in the book, but none with NATX numbers. COSX and SDRX instead.

    I started reading the book. The value is in the pictures and the captions, not so much in the introductory text, which is a bit rambling.

    Ken
     
  7. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Speedwich Tank Car book

    I have moved the tank car discussion to a separate thread - this one.
     
  8. Rancho Bob

    Rancho Bob Member

    Re: Speedwich Tank Car book

    I bought the Culotta ARA book when it was first offered. It's printed on the strangest paper and the binding is absolutely horrible. Then I had to place it in my book press to straighten it out. If anyone has these other guides from them and this book, I'd like to know a comparison

    s. Once Bit, etc. (RanchoBob)
     
  9. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Speedwich Tank Car book

    The two Richard Hendrickson books from Speedwitch (USRA single & double sheathed box cars) are paperback, very well bound, and photo reproduction, typesetting, and binding are excellent. The other Speedwitch books I have (boxcars, tankcars) are spiral bound, on excellent paper, with typesetting and photo reproduction via xerography. Details on the pics are sharp.

    Ken
     
  10. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Speedwich Tank Car book

    Book Review:

    I am about finished reading my copy of the Speedwitch book "Steam Era Freight Cars Reference Manual, Volume Two, Tank Cars". For those who, like me, are interested in the 1900-1960 history of tank cars and the various designs and builders, it is excellent. As I said earlier, the opening several pages of tank car history are full of information, but are a bit rambling and hard to follow. The balance of the book is a series of b/w tank car pictures, with very informative captions. The picture quality ranges from fair to excellent, though the reproduction is more like a Xerox copy than a print, but most of the pics are fine with all detail showing.

    The book is available directly from Speedwitch, see www.speedwitch.com

    As an example of the value I found - the discussion of the Union Tank Car Company does a good job of describing the UTC Type-X design of the 1910-1920 era. This car rides up high on a pronounced center sill, and was modeled in HO long ago by MDC Roundhouse as their 26-ft "old timer" tank car. I have long had this kit, but never built it as I thought it would look totally out of place. In the book, Speedwitch makes the comment that "the Type-X design proved to be durable and cars of this type ran into the early 1970's in revenue service". The book contains a pic of a Type-X in sulfuric acid service in 1945, UTLX 17891, riding on a modern set of "Bettendorf" trucks and with modern dome fittings, but looking much like the Roundhouse kit. Pardon me while I go and look for my Roundhouse kit!

    The final chapter covers the building of a tank car at ACF (American Car & Foundry) in Milton, PA. As one who has visited ACF-Milton several times watching the building of new tank cars for our fleet, I found that chapter interesting and a fond reminder of my experiences there. There also are some pics at the end of the book of relatively newer tank cars.

    A good reference book - glad I bought it.

    Ken
     
  11. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Anyone have any trouble ordering from Speedwitch? I ordered the tank car book March 18th and Pay Pal charged my Visa card, but I haven't received the book and my email inquiries bounce back (Re: In box full)??

    Tom G.
     
  12. Oldguy

    Oldguy Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Terry - did you an image search for Midcontinent Petroleum? There is a site dealing with a DX refinery in Tulsa and if you an image search for Midcontinent Petroleum tanks cars there are some of those as well.
     

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