Atlas - 20 002 789 - Tank Car, Single Dome, Trinity 25,500 - Transportation Equipment - 25145

Body Style Information: Atlas model of the Trinity 25,500 gal, insulated, general-purpose design. This was introduced in 1986 and production continues today. There are at least 13,000 presently in service. Typical commodities include vegetable oil, tallow, styrene, benzene, asphalt, biodiesel, acrylates, and numerous other chemicals.

Prototype Information: This Trinity tank car is in the typical condition of tank cars that have been hauling relatively clean commodities for decades. There is evidence of years of sun bleaching and rain-washed dust. The darker black areas are the positions of the original Cargill logos, which suggests that the remainder of the car has not been painted or cleaned (on the outside) in that 20-year period. When this Trinity CRX7293 tank car was photographed 20 years after the car was built the original Cargill logos had been painted over with black so only the white reporting marks identify the owner (or lessor). A number of firms took this identity-loss precaution after television photos of train wrecks provided adverse publicity for any type of tank car (although the vegetable oils that these cars would carry are relatively harmless).

Road/Company Information: Originally formed in 1981, Transportation Equipment, Inc. (TEI) is a privately held Texas Corporation engaged in the leasing, management and operation of railroad tank and covered hopper cars. With a fleet of cars approaching 3000 units, TEI supplies new and existing equipment on both full service and triple net leases serving the oil, petrochemical, food, plastic and agricultural industries across North America. The services provided by TEI are outlined below:

FULL SERVICE LEASING: The full service lease cars are being operated under the reporting marks of TEIX and TEAX. Full-service leases include the maintenance and taxes and insurance that customers would have to pay if they owned or net leased their cars. Generally these cars are leased for three to five year terms.

REMARKETING: The remarketing of railcars refers to matching lessees or owners of surplus cars with shippers having short-term needs. Typically these leases are for one year or less and follow a full service lease arrangement.

MANAGEMENT: In addition to operating its own cars, TEI manages, operates and leases cars for private investors on a third party basis. TEI sells both new and existing equipment to individuals or investor groups and provides leases and management agreements, which outline the responsibilities for the owners, manager and lessees.

FLEET MANAGEMENT: With the invention of "outsourcing", TEI has taken on the responsibility of managing fleets of covered hoppers and tank cars for owners / shippers. These duties could include tracing, maintenance review, repair bill auditing, mileage auditing, bill paying, subleasing, etc.

Brand/Importer Information: In 1924 Stephan Schaffan, Sr. founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes as a hobby and frequented a local hobby shop. Being an enterprising young man, he would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Tired of listening to his requests, the hobby-store owner threw some model railroad track parts his way and said, "Here, see if you can improve on this".

Atlas has made a ton of wonderful products throughout the years and we often get questions one whether we have run a certain road name on a particular model. It should be noted that Atlas locomotives and rolling stock are greatly appreciated for their superior operating and running characteristics. Atlas products are also well known for their outstanding collectability not only due to their superior prototypical workmanship, details and decoration, but because there are relatively so few of them made. Each and every production run has been carefully built to market demand, meaning almost every piece in any given run is sold out by Atlas on arrival or shortly thereafter, thus creating a built in collectors market.

Manufacturer Information: In 1924 Stephan Schaffan, Sr. founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes as a hobby and frequented a local hobby shop. Being an enterprising young man, he would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Tired of listening to his requests, the hobby-store owner threw some model railroad track parts his way and said, "Here, see if you can improve on this".

Atlas has made a ton of wonderful products throughout the years and we often get questions one whether we have run a certain road name on a particular model. It should be noted that Atlas locomotives and rolling stock are greatly appreciated for their superior operating and running characteristics. Atlas products are also well known for their outstanding collectability not only due to their superior prototypical workmanship, details and decoration, but because there are relatively so few of them made. Each and every production run has been carefully built to market demand, meaning almost every piece in any given run is sold out by Atlas on arrival or shortly thereafter, thus creating a built in collectors market.