Model Railroading > Update, using Tangent's NACC 20.5K for a modern BNSF Fire train

Updating from my thread a few weeks back...   https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,6156242

So, all the various decal sheets were finally acquired, or "harvested from others already on site"... (Microscale and Switchline Decals). I've now finally been able to lay down ~56 decals per tank car model, to semi-accurately lay down enough semi-prototypical decals to proto-freelance/replicate three of the blanked-white Tangent models I initially purchased last month.

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The HO scale Tangent 20.5K models are "close enough" to the prototypes (for me). I've walked around at BNSF's Commerce Diesel Service (in Commerce, CA) for the last 4-5 years photographing the real ones. Which were strangely/recently transferred to Barstow, CA for some unknown reason.
 

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Next step is to figure out how to add the extensive external water piping found along the prototypes to pressurize the various fire fighting nozzles along the tops of each tank car.. Piece of cake... Styrene to the rescue!

*Motive-power for the latest test run a day or two back was a pair of weathered and detailed (sound/DCC equipped) BNSF Heritage-I C44-9Ws, one Athearn Genesis 2.0, the other, a renumbered ScaleTrains model. They run together remarkably well with minimal speed matching!

Larger views of the modified train can be found at the gallery below...
https://pbase.com/mrmrl/bnsf_stuff

~ Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/26 01:27 by MrMRL.

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Very nice work representing a unique train. 

Wow, very cool!

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Super cool!

Posted from iPhone

Nice work! Would like to find a few of those Tangent tanks to do the same....

John Parker
Longmont, CO
BNSF Fall River Division

Nice job.
JB

Well done modification. We're blessed to have Tangent and Moloco doing such nice work. 

Excellent work, Robby!!

Cheers,
Harry

You're ideas got me thinking of doing the same thing for anouther railroad but alas, Tangent is sold out of the undecs. 

Thanks for the replies folks... I know they're still not "correct", but sure a heck of a lot easier to mimic the prototypes I've seen, with some careful color and details.


~ Mr. MRL

Very nice job on a type of train not modeled offten.
 
*Motive-power for the latest test run a day or two back was a pair of weathered and detailed (sound/DCC equipped) BNSF Heritage-I C44-9Ws, one Athearn Genesis 2.0, the other, a renumbered ScaleTrains model. They run together remarkably well with minimal speed matching! 

Can you elaborate on minimal speed matching please? Both have ESU V5 or Soundtraxxs?   

With in JMRI the page that says "Read Me- IMPORTANT" has the formula to add to the Soundtraxxs.
 

Tim Hanesworth
Santa Rosa, CA