# USA-Trains Beer Cars Finally Available



## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

The shorty USA-Trains Beer cars with the aluminum tank body that have been years in coming have finally hit the US shores.

Details of paint schemes, running numbers etc. are available on the Database:
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=2904

Knut


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

The one pictured on gbdb has pretty thick decal lettering. Not all that great looking with the lighting at that angle. 

I figured they would have heat stamped/silk screened/or what ever process typically used...but not decals.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

I bugged the crap out of the guys in Malden a few weeks ago about ANY information and they couldn't tell me anything at all about them...sigh... 

Chas


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Lettering is not great considering the cost of the cars. Looks like 1950's American Flyer.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By San Juan on 30 Nov 2011 11:19 AM 
The one pictured on gbdb has pretty thick decal lettering. Not all that great looking with the lighting at that angle. 

I figured they would have heat stamped/silk screened/or what ever process typically used...but not decals. 

The tank car on the database is a prototype that was shown more than 1 1/2 years ago.
I sure hope that the lettering on the production units is heat stamped or silk-screened.

Once pictures of the final production units are available, I'm sure some will be added to the database.

What I find interesting is the amount of metal used in these tank cars - initially all the cars were pretty much completely made of plastic except the actual axle itself.

Over the years, more and more metal was added.

Knut


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I thought the body was always a metal tube? 

Greg


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 30 Nov 2011 01:34 PM 
I thought the body was always a metal tube? 

Greg 
For USA-Trains, yes...

I was thinking of G-Scale tank cars in general when I wrote that thinking back to the very first ones by LGB in 1968. 

Sorry - I should have been clearer.

Knut


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Shots from my visit on 11-12-11.









Not great shots beign placed in the front window of the store and the sun back lighting them. Also taken with my Blackberry Storm. I did not remember the lettering, etc. being "raised" like decals and it does not look that way even in these shots.









I was more concerned with folks that like to body mount couplers. There is nothing to mount them to. That deck on the end is mesh with nothing below it. 

Chas


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Not great shots begin placed in the front window of the store and the sun back lighting them. Also taken with my Blackberry Storm. I did not remember the lettering, etc. being "raised" like decals and it does not look that way even in these shots. 

The production units would definitely not use decals applied by the factory. 
That would be much too expensive for volume production. 

Changing to body-mount couplers certainly does create a challenge.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Have not heard of dealer having them as yet. Later RJD


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## Robby D (Oct 15, 2009)

I will have them by tomorrow.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Robby when you get them in, can you take a look and see if they have the Kadee mounting pad? 

Thanks, Greg


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the info on that car being a prototype.

USA is really good about their lettering and printing. A prototype car with test lettering makes perfect sense. 



Also I think I see what might be Kadee coupler mounting screw posts in this photo. Maybe?


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## Robby D (Oct 15, 2009)

I'll let you know.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

I added the first three of the final production cars to the database - no decals obviously. 
http://www.gbdb.info/ 

They look really good but since they are all metal they are fairly heavy - about 5 pounds. 
Means are provided to use body-mounted couplers.


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## GN_Rocky (Jan 6, 2008)

Ok you guys, I can give you a review of the cars as I just received 3 of them today. They came from Robby's store and I for one am impressed on the quality of the work that went in to them. Yes, perhaps the pad printing may be a bit on the heavy side, but it isn't overly done or over sprayed either. They ARE heavy for a short car, mostly made of Alum. There IS a kade mounting pad on each end for a 830 or perhaps 820 Kadee. The detailing is Very nice like most of Charlie's Ultimate series cars. The trucks are the modern style roller bearing like on the Centerflows and 60 foot boxcars. The only issue that I can see is the weight factor for a string of these cars. I'll get a better idea when the next cars arrive tomorrow. I only got 3 today and will be getting 5 more tomorrow. Then hopefully another bunch next month. Sorry, no pictures yet...

Rocky


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By GN_Rocky on 22 Dec 2011 03:58 PM 
Sorry, no pictures yet...

Rocky

Rocky,

There are some pictures posted on the database.
If any one is interested as to which ones, go to
http://www.gbdb.info/
and type 

USATBeerTank
into the search filed, no spaces.
That will bring up all of the new USA Trains beer tank cars where suitably large pictures have been contributed.

Although the gbdb-team has received official permission by Charles Ro to use any of the USA Trains pictures and documentation, the focus for the database is to only use large suitable pictures submitted by owners of the various items. 

However, for some of the items pictures are sometimes hard to get - in the case of the USA Trains tank cars, those of the undecorated versions, so in those cases manufacturer pictures are sometimes used temporarily until a better picture is available.


Rocky - if you want to contribute some pictures of your beer tank cars, I'd be happy to put them up. They have to be atleast 1200 pixels wide or larger and in reasonable focus. 


Knut


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

very nice car ....... everything diecast or metal........ 4.5 lbs ea


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I have one car. They are shortened versions of the long modern tank car and the 42 'modern car. Same cars ,just different body lengths. At least that what it looks like to me. I body mounted a Kadee 820 on mine with a 1/16 shim. The trucks are also metal which adds to the weight of the car.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Not to hijack this post but while looking on the web site that krs posted i saw a rail cycle. Do you know anything about it. Like is it available, price and does it run or just for static display. Thanks for any information.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

FYI..... I have two Brand New in Box USA R15100 Undecorated Black 10,000 gallon tankers available... See Classifieds


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By pete on 23 Dec 2011 08:22 AM 
Not to hijack this post but while looking on the web site that krs posted i saw a rail cycle. Do you know anything about it. Like is it available, price and does it run or just for static display. Thanks for any information. 
Pete,

Which rail cycle?
There are several of them, you find them by using railcycle (one word) in the search field.

However, the only ones shown in the database is where there are suitable large pictures.

I know of a kit which was just made available a short while ago.
It's in the database here:
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=2811

This one is a model of an RhB rail cycle, you have to assemble and paint it yourself.

Train.li shows one already assembled and painted but I don't know if that is still available.
It's the same one as the kit above.










There is also at least one metal one on German ebay:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Modell-Schie...589384355&po=&ps=63&clkid=5096944882235281566

None of them are motorized but the wheels on all of them work (ie they roll), so maybe a tiny motor could be added.
That would make a great model.

Knut


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

I think Marty's next 1 inch scale car should be the beer can tank car. Only Marty needs to modify the car to allow it to actually dispense beer!









Just a thought, 
David Meashey


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Krs thanks for the eesponce


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry i mean responce.


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