InterMountain - 66320-01 - Tank Car, Single Dome, ACF 8,000 Gallon - Gulf - 14209

Model Information: This popular InterMountain model comes in both kit and RTR (Read-to-Run) versions. Different couplers have been used over the years. Recent (2010+) versions have generic magnetic operating couplers.

Prototype History: The ACF® 8,000 Gallon Type 27 Tank Car was one of the most popular standard design riveted tank cars of the first half of the twentieth century. ACF® built more than 1,800 of these cars for a wide variety of customers in the petroleum, chemical, and food industries. Virtually every bulk liquid or gas of the era was shipped in these cars (and its similar 10,000 gallon brother). Typical products included petroleum, acids, alcohol, propane, ammonia, molasses and vegetable oil.

Specifications: Underframe general design: 2 – 13" channel center sills with riveted top plate, 4 – 7" channel side sills (bolsters to end sills), 2 – 9" channel end sills to form the structure. Underframe width of 9'-3" for cars 10,000 gal. or smaller. Wood running boards (1 ⅞" x 11¾" wide) and side dome platforms (often 1 ⅞ " x 7½" wide x 4' or longer). Standard underframe lengths (some changed over time). Standard tank designs with 3 courses, 2 courses for small capacity cars. Standard tank diameters and lengths for common sizes (6,000 to 10,000 gallon @ 1,000 gallon increments). Hand rails 1 ¼" O.D. pipe. 30" diameter domes on most 103A/103B acid cars.

Road Name History: Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger with Standard Oil of California, Gulf was one of the chief instruments of the Mellon family fortune; both Gulf and Mellon Financial had their headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Gulf's headquarters, the Gulf Tower, being Pittsburgh's tallest building until the completion of the U.S. Steel Tower.

Gulf Oil Corporation (GOC) ceased to exist as an independent company in 1985, when it merged with Standard Oil of California (SOCAL), with both rebranding as Chevron in the United States. Gulf Canada, Gulf's main Canadian subsidiary, was sold the same year with retail outlets to Ultramar and Petro-Canada and what became Gulf Canada Resources to Olympia & York. However, the Gulf brand name and a number of the constituent business divisions of GOC survived. Gulf has experienced a significant revival since 1990, emerging as a flexible network of allied business interests based on partnerships, franchises and agencies.

Brand/Importer Information: InterMountain was founded in 1985 by Fred Brummet. They got started in the model railroad business by producing O-Scale model kits. They got started in the N Scale business almost a decade later when in 1994 they introduced the 40-23 reefer car in kit form. Later, in 1998, they started producing RTR (Ready-to-Run) models. By the early 2000s, InterMountain phased out kit production in favor of the RTR models.

The InterMountain Railway company is located at 1224 Boston Ave in Longmont, CO. They are a manufacturer of HO, N and Z scale model trains. They have produced kits as well as RTR (Ready-To-Run) models. Their N Scale products include locomotives as well as rolling stock. Their rolling stock lineup includes Boxcars, Hoppers, Tank Cars, Reefers, Gondolas, Stock Cars and Flatcars.

Their locomotive releases have primarily been diesel units, with the one major exception being their series of AC-12 Cab Forward steam locos. Their diesel lineup includes F3's, F7's, F9's, SD40's, SD45's and FT units. They are known for quality and detail. They also release their rolling stock in larger varieties of road numbers than most of the other manufacturers.