K-LINE Electric Trains Tank Cars

K-LINE obtained the tooling from Williams Electric Trains to manufacture their tank cars. With the exception of the first one, photos on this page are courtesy of the B. DeBrooke collection.

Williams Dow Chemical Company tank car

For comparison to the K-LINE tank cars on this page, this is a Williams Dow Chemical Company tank car. The black railing extends all the way around to the hatch ladders on either side of the car.


K-LINE Esso tank car

K-LINE Esso GATX 6310 "put a tiger in your tank" tank car. The chrome railing extends all the way around, but stops short of the hatch ladders on either side of the car. This railing style was used starting 1987 through 1989 on the first K-LINE tank cars from Esso 6310 through KATY 6319.


K-LINE Esso tank car chassis detail

K-LINE Esso tank car plastic chassis detail.


Williams tank car hatch detailK-LINE tank car hatch detail

Williams tank car hatch detail on the left and K-LINE tank car hatch detail to the right. The Williams hatch was manufactured permanently closed, while the K-LINE hatch can be manually opened and closed.


K-LINE Esso tank car end detailK-LINE Shamrock tank car end detail

K-LINE Esso tank car end detail on the left and K-LINE Shamrock tank car end detail to the right. "K-LINE" is embossed on the Shamrock tank car end along with additional black printing. Data started appearing on K-LINE tank car ends in 1991, the same year production moved overseas.


K-LINE Shamrock tank car platform detail - side viewK-LINE Shamrock tank car platform detail - top view

K-LINE Shamrock tank car platform and hatch railing detail - side and top views. This platform style first appeared in 1988 on the Southern Pacific 6314 tank car.


K-LINE Timken tank car with die-cast chassis

K-LINE Timken 636102 Roller Freight tank car with a new die-cast chassis.

The die-cast chassis was introduced in 1994. It first appeared on an uncatalogued Conoco tank car. Conoco requested a replica of their 1934 Conoco tank car in black. K-LINE produced 16,566 tank cars in black, and another 60 in grey for company executives. The car was delivered on a base with roadbed and track. The car also had a coin slot. It's believed the first regular production tank car with a die-cast chassis was Baltimore and Ohio 6358, produced in 1996. There were other earlier tank cars with die-cast chassis, but they were uncatalogued and mainly done for private companies.


K-LINE Timken tank car undercarriage

K-LINE Timken tank car undercarriage.


K-LINE Timken tank car brake wheel end detailK-LINE Timken tank car opposite end detail

K-LINE Timken tank car brake wheel end detail on the left and K-LINE Timken tank car opposite end detail to the right. "K-LINE" is embossed on the tank car end opposite of the brake wheel.


K-LINE Timken tank car hatch railing

K-LINE tank car stamped steel hatch railing first appeared in 1997.

Home      Site Map      Contact      Return to K-LINE Main Page

Copyright © Robert's Lionel Trains Layout...All Rights Reserved.