InterMountain - BLW-1111-B2 - Tank Car, Single Dome, ACF 8,000 Gallon - Firestone - 15044

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: Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 initially to supply solid rubber side-wire tires for fire apparatus, and later, pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. In 1988, the company was sold to the Japanese Bridgestone Corporation.

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.

Commissioner Information: Brooklyn Locomotive Works was a hobby shop, specialized in N-scale, located in Manalapan, New Jersey, that also sells on-line. BLW regularly commissions special runs.

The company was founded by Pete Postel who announced that he would retired by end of 2018. His brother Paul should continue the business from his own shop Hogtrainz.com.

Brooklyn Locomotive Works (BLW) released special runs from various manufacturers under its own brand until approx. the mid-1980s. Thereafter the special runs where sold under the manufacturer's name and denoted as special runs for BLW. Hence in this database, we assign the BLW brand in the former case, and the original manufacturer's brand in the latter.