HO Union X-3 Tankcar Northern Pacific

Overview

Rapido Trains is excited to announce its newest ready-to-run freight car –
the Union Tank Car 10,000 gallon X-3 tank car.

Modelers interested in accuracy know that most boxcars are painted red
and most tank cars are black. That’s just the way it is – and was. When
discussing tank cars from the 1920s through the 1970s, there can be no
more important car than the Union Tank Car (UTLX) X-3 design. And yes,
they were almost all black!

The X-3 cars were built in various capacities and configurations, including
6,500 gallon, 8,000 gallon and 12,000 gallon tanks. They were also built with
single, double and triple domes. However, none of these variants were more
numerous than the basic 10,000 gallon, single-dome version. From the 1920s
onwards Union Tank Car (UTLX) fielded the largest fleet of tank cars in
North America, and the 10,000 gallon X-3 accounted for nearly 13,000 of
them!

The basic X-3 was used to haul fuel oil, gasoline, vegetable oils – essentially
any liquid that did not require special handling features. These cars went
everywhere!

Rapido’s model has been developed with the help of noted
UTLX tank car expert Steve Hile. Rapido is offering two
distinct versions, the K-brake equipped cars, good before
1953, and the AB-brake equipped cars good from the 1940s
onwards. In addition to brake equipment, Rapido models will
feature correct handbrake and coupler cut bar arrangements
which differed depending on the brake equipment installed.

Features of Rapido’s model include: