![]() But these details were enough to suggest to Flyer enthusiasts that the tank car carried chemicals and not petroleum products. Otherwise, this 7 5/8-inch-long model might be mistaken for a typical tanker. ![]() 910, decorated for Gilbert Chemicals, boasted a black platform around its dome, and long ladders reached from the black-painted metal frame up to the platform. But they can’t pour liquids into tank cars. Kids can put marbles in gondolas, Lincoln logs on flatcars, and metal trucks or plastic animals inside boxcars. Unlike almost every other kind of model, they lack play value. Then Gilbert introduced the first of what it called a “chemical tank car.” Tank cars are the odd members of the toy train family. Until then, it had been content to offer only S gauge single-dome oil tankers decorated for Shell and Gulf. Gilbert Co., Lionel’s principal rival in the postwar era, upped the ante in 1954 with something brand new in its American Flyer line. Single-, double-, and even triple-dome cars, all lettered for Sunoco, ruled the three rails from 1945 through 1955. This trend picked up speed after World War II. Tank cars that advertised the name of a petroleum refiner or another business could earn needed revenue for toy train firms.įrom then on, with the exception of a year prior to World War II, all of Lionel’s O gauge tank cars came decorated for the name and herald of Sunoco. The breakthrough came in 1932, when Lionel worked out a licensing agreement with Sun Oil Co. ![]() So prewar manufacturers like Lionel and Ives developed tank cars, but hoped to do more with them. Despite the lack of play value in tank cars, boys wanted them because they reflected what kids saw in full-sized trains.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |