# Bachmann 1:20.3 Tank Cars



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

I have a few questions about the Bachmann 1:20.3 tank cars and a few other general questions about tanks.

*Question 1:* 

I was wondering if those who might have any of the newer Bachmann 1:20.3 frameless "Gramps" tank cars think they might work on a 1:22.5 layout?

I have three of the older 1:22.5 Bachmann "Big Hauler" tanksand was thinking of somehow converting them into frameless "Gramps" style tanks. But since the new 1:20.3 tanks are just like the prototypes, as far as I can tell from photos, if they are not too big maybe they'd work on my 1:22.5 line.

I believe the narrow gauge "Gramps" UTLX cars were large and the tanks were standard gauge. So that's why I'm thinking a 1:20.3 tank might work on a 1:22.5 line.


*Question 2:* 

Could anyone give me the dimensions of the new 1:20.3 Bachmann "Gramps" tanks? I assume the width will be the most important comparision dimension.


*Question 3:* 

Also, do the top filling hatches on the new 1:20.3 Bachmann tanks open? Are there any opperating tank car hatches available that might fit on the older Bachmann tank cars? I checked Ozark's and it appears they make a 1/32 scale tank car hatch, although the opperating version seems to be a modern standard gauge type. 


J.S. Woodcrafts just built a custom designed Chama oil loading dock for our layout and it is just beautiful. I'll have to get some photos of it. It came with swinging oil loading pipes so it would be great to open a tank car top hatch and insert the pipe into it. 


Thanks for any information you can provide


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

The Bachmann Gramps tank car 1:20.3 is 18.5 inches long tip of coupler to tip of coupler. Is 5 inches wide, side grab iron to side grab iron. It is about 7 1/4 inches high. The fill cap pulls out. It is hooked by a chain to the top of the tank.




It's a nice looking car and I like my Bachmann 1:20.3 cars. I think that it would look large for a 1:22.5 layout. 

My LGB Conoco tank car is 16.5 inches long, coupler tip to coupler tip, 4.5 inches wide and 7 inches tall. 



Chuck


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are pictures of some of the various tank cars that I have for comparison: bottom (Bachmann 1:20.3), middle (LGB 1:22.5), and top (USAT 1:29). I think that the USAT car would make a better starting point than the Bachmann because it is about the same general size as the LGB which is where you are headed and it starts with an open frame. The only drawback is that the diameter of the tank is smaller. It all depends upon how much of a rivet counter you are.





























Over the years I have found that I can mix 1:22.5 with 1:24 cars and it doesn't look out of place, but in my mind I just can't mix 1:20.3 cars with 1:22.5. To me it is the optical equilivent of a fingernail on a blackboard.


Since engines came in all sizes I have pulled 1:20.3 cars with some LGB 1:22.5 locos such as the mogul or forney, but mixing cars just doesn't look right.

Chuck


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## Sourdoh (Jan 6, 2008)

I have a Bachmann Big Haulers Gramps tank car mixed into my AMS 1:20.3 Freight string and it looks OK because tank cars were (and are) different sizes. But to go the other direction, I think would look strange. Even without the bulk of a frame, the 1:20.3 tank car would seem quite oversized. The wheel diameters are different and the general heft of all the hardware is just too big as illustrated by the nice photos that Chuck provided above.


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By San Juan on 26 Jul 2009 02:29 PM 
I have a few questions about the Bachmann 1:20.3 tank cars and a few other general questions about tanks.

*Question 3:* 

Also, do the top filling hatches on the new 1:20.3 Bachmann tanks open? 


Thanks for any information you can provide

Here's a close up of the B'mann framed UTLX tanker's dome. (I assume the frameless tanker is the same, but maybe not, judging from the pix and text above.) The filler hatch originally worked (on the hinge you see there) but the "dogging straps" (to use a nautical term) were cut just inside of the bolts so it didn't look realistic when open - or shut, for that matter. 












While it may be fun to play with, I believe that anything that's movable is also (eventually) breakable, so I glued it shut and filled in the gaps in the straps. Now, at least, the hatch looks right when closed and "dogged" shut. 

If you click on my name below and go to "Bachmann's Fn3 Tank Car..." under the "Rolling Stock" drop-down menu, you can see more pix of this tank car. Good luck and have fun with yours.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the info, and the comparison photos help a bunch. 

Yes, as I suspected, the 1:20.3 tanks will probably be too large for our layout. And they would likely stick out when compared to everything else. But they sure look great. The way the caps come off is just like the prototype (attached by chain).

I took some photos of the new oil dock custom built by J.S. Woodcrafts we just received along with two of our 1:22.5 "Gramps" Bachmann tank cars. I think I'll leave them as is for now, although it would be nice to have removable caps. I suppose I could just drill the existing ones out and fabricate my own caps.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Really nice pictures. Unfortunately, the new site seems to have eliminated any geographic information. My signature used to say where I lived (northern Virginia). I'm sure that someone who lives near you where ever that is has a Bachmann Gramps tank car and would love to see in next to that beautiful loading dock. The only way to really know what looks good on your layout is to have a visitor bring the proper cars for comparison. If you can give us a clue as to where you live, I'm sure that someone nearby has a GRAMPS car. 

Chuck 

PS: I run my Bachmann !:20.3 cars with my AMS cars all the time. They look great together. I'm looking forward to the arrival of the New Bachmann long caboose.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Chuck N, 

We're out in southwest Colorado, in the mountains near Durango. 


My neighbor is big into 1:20.3. I'll ask if he has any of the Bachmann tanks. However I think they will be too large. 

I suppose if I really wanted to I could modify my existing cars into frameless versions. Not sure how to do that right now in order to maintain the reliable tracking the cars now have.


For now, I doubt anyone would even notice the cars are incorrect, unless they were really into D&RGW narrow gauge like I am. Sometimes all those great resource books out there can be a problem since they show what the prototype should look like


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Matt:

I thought that is where you spent part of the year, as I recalled from things said before the latest modification of the site. I think that modifying your existing cars would be a lot of work. The tank and wheels are about the only salvageable parts.


I have a lot of 1:22.5 stuff that rarely goes out anymore. I have slowly been adding 1:20.3 stuff to my roster. Here at home (Virginia) I'm running mostly 1:20.3 and 1:29. It depends on my mood. I have taken a lot of my 1:22.5 (mostly LGB) out to Arizona to run in the winter. 


Just remember its your railroad and you can make the rules. When I run something that isn't quite correct, I say that I'm running a museum or tourist railroad and not representing a real one. From 10 feet it's hard to see what frame is under the tank cars.

Are you concerned about the scale of the buildings in relation to the 1:20.3 cars? If that is the case I wouldn't worry. I think POLA buildings look fine with the 1:20.3 trains. 

One last thing. I have had 1:20.3 trains out with 1:22.5 trains. As long as they are separate trains the visual difference isn't too much, with one on a siding and another running by. The only visual problem that I have is when they are mixed in the same train. 


Cheers,


Chuck


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Matt, 

If you want to make that conversion on the Big Hauler cars, call Plastruct and ask for an 'Engineering Model Associates' Catalog and price list. I am not sure of the relationship today, but back in the early '80s they were the parent of Plastruct. I was doing commercial piping modeling then, and EMA has a wealth of piping/tank related items. Most are scaled for 1/24, but unless you plan to do contest quality models, most people will not see the difference. 

Bob C


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