A Limited Edition HO-Scale Rapido GP20 Tank Car painted for freelance model railroad industry Water Train!
The Water Train (WTIX) GP20 Tank Car is an exciting proto-freelance car that is a bit different from most of our freelance model railroad offerings. Water Train is a real company that is ramping up to offer a unique solution to supply water in areas where there is demand. The cars in their fleet currently are non-descript lease cars, but they did have one large scale model painted up with their stunning logo!
Our friends at Water Train agreed with us that this would be a really fun car to produce and offer to the Home Shops proto-freelance market. Anyone who freelances can pen a story that would promote having these beautiful cars on their layout or in their collection. With a multi-color logo that is sharp, these eye-catching pieces are a must-have! Available in four road numbers, get yours today!
New Date: 1-2019
About the Prototype:
Founded in 1952, Products Tank Line (renamed Procor in 1962) constructed their manufacturing plant in the mid-1950s in Oakville, Ontario. Initially, engineering was supplied by the parent Union Tank Car Company. In the 1960s, Procor assembled their own engineering department and crafted a series of standard design tank cars which paved the way for a new generation of equipment, with many modern designs reflecting this new standard. The GP20 (again, the tank car and not the locomotive) was suitable for lighter density commodities which would not congeal or freeze in cold weather, such as various oils and fuel. The same car could also be equipped with interior heater coil pipes, such that the contents could be reheated. The same basic design — including tank diameter and length — was manufactured from 1969 through until 1984. The GP20 was constructed with both 70 ton and 100 ton capacity trucks. Later designs were also equipped with a separate fittings dome (in addition to the manway assembly fitting), which allowed the tank rating to be upgraded from 60 psi to 100 psi.
When production of the GP20 tank car was completed in 1984, Procor had built almost 1000 cars of this design. They are in use across North America in both fleet service and lease service to numerous companies. Common reporting marks carried by these cars included UTLX (Union Tank Car), PROX (Procor), NCTX (North American Car Co.), BCOL (British Columbia Railway), and CN (Canadian National).
The Rapido Trains HO scale Procor GP20 Tank Car features:
- Drawn from original blueprints and drawings
- Artworks sourced from original design drawings and photos
- Photo-etched metal walkways
- Detailed vent stacks, loading hatches, air tanks and braking equipment
- Metal knuckle couplers
- Early style features 70-ton trucks with 33” wheels and an exposed drain valve
- Late style features 100-ton trucks with 36” wheels and a reinforced drain valve housing