Arnold - 4639 - Tank Car, No Dome, 2-Axle - VTG

Model Information: Arnold introduced these cars in the 1960s. They appear in the 1966 catalog and are described as follows: "These tank cars are models of privately owned cars belonging to various oil companies. The model of four wheel tank cars have plastic super structures and burnished metal chassis. There are sprung automatic couplers at both ends. The needle point steel axles run in journal boxes with imitation steel springs."

Herkat has used this body style to manufacture track cleaning cars which have been imported by both Kato and Con-Cor.

Personally, I find the glued-on placards to be really cheesy, and make an otherwise nice model to look quite amateurish. Arnold could have done better.

Prototype History: Tank cars are a railroad staple. They have been around since the first half of the 20th century. These railcars carry a wide array of commodities, including liquid fertilizers, chemicals, fuel oils and asphalt, and food-grade oils. Tank cars can be pressurized or non-pressurized, insulated or non-insulated. Single dome cars carry only a single commodity at once. Food-service tank cars may be lined with stainless steel, glass, or plastic. Tank cars carrying dangerous goods are generally made of different types of steel, depending on the intended cargo and operating pressure. They may also be lined with rubber or coated with specialized coatings for tank protection or product purity purpose. The tank heads are also stronger to prevent ruptures during accidents.

Road Name History: Headquartered in Hamburg, VTG Aktiengesellschaft (VTG AG) is a publicly traded and leading international wagon hire and rail logistics company with around 80,000 railcars on its books at the current time – the biggest privately owned fleet in Europe. Customers benefit from close ties between VTG's three divisions: Railcar, Rail Logistics and Tank Container Logistics. This collaboration creates a powerful, results-driven platform for international freight transportation – a platform that delivers custom-tailored logistical solutions and possesses a wealth of expertise in the transportation of liquids and hazardous goods, where safety is of the essence.

The Group's wagon hire, wagon manufacturing and maintenance activities are complemented by a separate sales organization. In addition, VTG AG, its subsidiaries and its affiliates draw on the resources of various pool systems, as well as offering to manage external wagon fleets. Our tank containers comply with all relevant statutory norms, prescriptions and material requirements and are deployed for transportation by road, rail and sea. Our customers expect industry-specific solutions that reflect the quality and effectiveness of a true global player. Which is exactly what they get from VTG, every time.

A large number of respected companies across a broad spectrum of industries – chemicals, petroleum, automotive engineering and suppliers, the paper industry, you name it – take advantage of our services, concepts and products. VTG AG is an established player in the German and international transportation market. Its shares are traded on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and quoted in the SDAX small cap index.

Brand/Importer Information: Founded in 1906 by Karl Arnold in Nuernberg, K. Arnold & Co. began its life producing tin toys and related items. They produced an extensive line of model ships, doll house items and other toys. In 1935, K. Arnold & Co. hired Max Ernst as their managing director. Ernst, not to be confused with the German realist artist of the same name, was a significant factor in the future of Arnold.

There are several distinct phases of Arnold's model train production. In the period of 1960 - 1962, Arnold marketed the Arnold Rapido 200 product line; this line was very crude yet it also was a sensation because of its much smaller size than TT.

The next phase was from 1963-1967, when the rapido product line begins to swing toward scale representations of the trains. It is during this period that the "Rapido Coupler" comes into production, beginning its widespread use by all model train manufacturers in N-Scale. It was in 1964 that the term "N-Scale" came into use. Between 1968 and 1970, rapido line of trains reached maturity, notably with its turntable and roundhouse. Arnold entered into a business relationship with the U.S. company Revell around 1968, beginning the marketing of Revell Rapido model trains. This relationship was marked by the beginning of production of more accurate North American prototype models by Arnold. This relationship continued for several years, ending in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Arnold continued their expanded production, with new models until the early 1990s.

On Max Ernst's 1976 retirement, Arnold employed perhaps 200 to 250 people, using three facilities in the Nurnberg area. The Company continued under family control until 1995, when Arnold went into bankruptcy and was sold to Rivarossi of Italy. Rivarossi, in turn, also went bankrupt, leading to the sale of all assets to Hornby of the United Kingdom. Production is carried out in China.