PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

The General American tank car fleet includes more than 59,000 cars representing nearly 70 different types that serve the chemical, petroleum, transportation, agriculture, food, mineral, and plastics industries. Major car categories include general-service and highpressure tank cars, as well as specialized cars designed to transport acids and other hazardous materials. Customer logos occasionally appear on General American leased cars, which can be seen operating across North America on both major railroads and short lines.

Introduced by the General American Transportation Corporation (GATC) in the late 1960s, the 20,000-gallon tank car became a mainstay of modern rail transportation for medium-density liquids such as chemicals, vegetable oils, and fertilizers. These non-insulated, welded steel, straight-barrel cars formed a significant part of the General American leasing fleet and remained in active servic