AlcoC420 wrote: Let see, ADM gives you 2 tank cars, but you letter one to the name of A.E. Staley their competitor? That is some kind of appreciation.
Yes, in 2002, ADM donated two tank cars, formerly owned by the Swift Co. Soybean Mill in Champaign, Illinois. They were purchased from GATX by Swift (and lettered SWFT 1 and SWFT 2) during the oil embargo, and used to store fuel oil for on-site generators and boilers in case of an interruption of the plant's fuel supplies. Both tanks, once in place at the Swift plant, remained stationary until they moved to Monticello in late 2002. They were donated, along with an amount of plant track material to MRM, in an effort to clean up the site as ADM was knocking down the elevator silos and facilities. GATX, in their generosity, also donated $2500 to assist with the preservation of the two cars. The ADM employee who made the donation happen was consulted with our planned repainting of the two cars, and had no problem with it.
We strive to repaint cars into a scheme they once wore while in service, and in the case of these two, on only one had clear markings for what it was, and that was GATX 7297. We were unable to find any other markings on the other car of it's true heritage, other than construction stamping in the tank heads that it was built by GATCC in Feb. of 1928. There was also stamped in the center sill - either QTX or OTX 8489. In consulting with the tank car gurus out there, Ted Culotta and Jerry Stewart, they were also stumped as to who's car it may have been, but most likely a GATX car of unknown number. So, since we have no firm history on this particular car, and local firm AE Staley had a fleet of them during the time period we are basing the paint schemes on, and ADM did not, we decided to paint it as you now see it.
Thanks for the kind comments on the paint and lettering work! Qui dicere potest ita non erat. (loosely translated to "Who can say it was not so".)
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