2 CARS • 6 AXLES • AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES TRUCKS

	PRR 500000	PRR 500001 (1966) PC 799000 (1973) CR 70899 (1977)
Builder:	Pennsylvania Railroad 1966
PRR Class :	TM-1	TP-1
Light Weight :	117,000 pounds	126,000 pounds
Load Limit :	277,000 pounds	268,000 pounds
Gross Weight :	394,000 pounds
Gallons :	38,040
Extreme Length :	80-03
Extreme Width :	10-04
Extreme Height:	15-06
AAR Class :	?	?
Specification No. :	?	?
Plate :	?	?
In ORER :	JUN 1966-JAN 1968	PRR : APR 1966-JAN 1973   PC : APR 1973-APR 1977   CR : none

In 1966 the Pennsylvania Railroad assembled a pair of experimental 6-axle tank cars, as the railroad wanted to see if big tank cars capable of moving at high speeds could recapture business that had been lost to trucks, pipelines and barges.  TM-1 class car 500000 was non-pressurized, while TP-1 500001 was pressurized.  Both of the cars could hold 38,040 gallons; but the presurized car weighed 9,000 pounds more than the conventional car, so its load limit was lower by that amount.

The tanks were built by Berwick Forge & Fabricating in Berwick, Pennsylvania; but the actual assembly of the cars took place at the railroad's Samuel Rea Shops in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania and their interior coating was applied at the Altoona Shops.  These were some of the earliest 6-axle tank cars, which may explain why the railroad built them instead of ordering them from a car builder; and were unusual in several respects besides their large size.  Most tank cars have been built by companies which specialize in their construction, and not in railroad shops.  Also, railroad-owned tank cars are rather uncommon for revenue service, as most tank cars are owned by shippers or by car leasing companies.

Before the two cars were completed, the Pennsy sponsored a car-naming contest, with the winner receiving ten shares of Pennsylvania Railroad stock.  The 1 September 1965 edition of Pennsy News carried an entry form and line sketch of the new tank car.  The winning entry was the RAIL WHALE, submitted by Matthew E. Dziekowkski, a relief freight and passenger agent of the New York Division.  It was chosen from among 18,724 entries.  He chose the name-because of the monstrous size of the car and the unique two-tone paint scheme, resembling the markings of a killer whale.

The 500000 was damaged by a petrified freight commodity shortly after it was built and was retired.  Car 500001 was briefly displayed at Philadelphia after completion of preliminary testing; and then moved to Houston for its initial load.  It remained in service for over 30 years, becomming Penn Central 799000 after the PRR-New York Central merger in 1968, and then Conrail company-service car 70899. Conrail used it to transport propane for switch heaters and donated it to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 1998, shortly before the railroad itself ceased to exist.

As it turned out, the Sam Rea Car Shops never built any more tank cars.  (Information from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, prr.railfan.net and other sources.)

PC 799000	Gary Stuebben	Logansport, IN March 1978

CGP-32 © 2003-2013 Michael M. Palmieri