Butter Dish Milk Cars

  Yes, Overland models imported both types years ago (fins and no fins).  There's one survivor at the Illinois Railroad Museum.  Here's a couple of pictures.

precision scale brought in these in O scale. there were 3 version full fin, fins on the ends and no fins. they were available either factory painted or non painted.

For what it's worth, be prepared to spend BIG MONEY for one of these cars, if and when you ever find one.

By coincidence, an auction for one of those just closed today on the Bay. Final price was $204.06. Here's a link to the closed auction; check it out for some nice photos of the car.

Borden's Milk Car

Lionel has done them though they appear to have used a traditional flat car. Should be easy to modify or scratch build a more accurate flat to put the tank on.

Pete

I agree but who said to make it scale length. Just suggesting an option to high dollar unobtainium.

Pete

I! would say make it a scale car, by Atlas or Weaver, etc.  Of course, I have serious

doubts one ever came near the geographic area I model, or anywhere but in the northeast, so all I could do is envy it.

I have a couple of the Lionel ones buried somewhere, can't lay my hands on them right now.  They're traditional sized cars.

They're pretty small, probably only 7-8" long, I wish I could find them, but they're in the 2nd layer of boxes in the closet, and I don't feel like taking 50-75 boxes out to find them.

Great looking cars. I think they are a two axle car no trucks. Yep by Lionel. I remember someone doing an On30 bash out of them on another forum, and I was surprised to find they said it was a Lionel because of it having no trucks. (Does Lionel offer different things in Europe?) They added brass buffers/English couplers in the bash. I think one of the scale European (German?) companies makes a line of these in O with many different logo options. Not just milk, beers too. I think I image searched "European railroad tank/vat cars" 

I just got mine out and it is just like the one pictured above. It is no. 6-19445 built by Lionel 1999 has two axle four wheel trucks. The tank cover is 7 1/2L × 7/8W x 1 7/58H. I believe it has been made in other Dairies (colors) also.

When were the prototype cars built, and approximately what years were they in service?

That is a really neat looking car. I was thinking of bidding on the one on eBay, but 200 bucks for one freight car is a tad bit over my budget(!)

I have a couple of Lionel traditional size but I would definitely buy scale versions if they were made. 

If you run a Google search on Borden's Milk Cars you will find a lot of information.  Their build date was 1936 and the service area looks to be the New England states.  It turns out both Precision and Overland made brass models of these cars in both painted and unpainted versions.  The IRM car is the designated sole survivor of the series.

I am encouraged by so many quick replies. So. If we could find a good model like the Precision Model version for a prototype, could we convince someone to produce a plastic scale version?  The flat car would be easy as well as the proper milk car/express car type trucks which are already available. If someone like MTH marketed a creamery version of one of its current structures and offered the cars it would create a new industry for today's demand for more realism on our layouts.  Any one with me on this?

Earl 

 K-Line made a flat with 2 Bordens tanks years ago. The car rode on the high side. I removed the tanks and the ends and grafted them on to a Lionel scale flat. Not a Butterdish car but another unique car to carry milk.

love them all,wish they would make them in standard gauge!!