Tangent Scale Models Releases First-Ever HO Scale NACC 1963 Tank Car

Tangent Scale Models, based in Asheville, North Carolina, released the North American Car Corporation (NACC) 1963-design 20,500 Gallon Non-Insulated Tank Car in HO scale on March 20, 2026, and made it available immediately with no preorder required. The Class ICC-111A-100-W-1 prototype had never previously been produced in either brass or plastic, making this the first commercially available scale model of this particular tank car design in any medium.

"This gorgeous prototype tank car model has never been available before in either brass or plastic, with applicability for modelers from the 1960s to the 2000s," Tangent stated in the release announcement. That four-decade era span is genuinely useful: the NACC 1963 design aged into service well past its build year, meaning the model works for a wide swath of transition-era and post-transition layouts without looking anachronistic.

The detail package on SKU 31006-01 reflects Tangent's usual approach to prototype accuracy. The model captures key build variations in the top-of-tank fittings, underframe fittings, and brake systems, and it fits within a Plate B clearance envelope. The draft gear is Tangent's "near-scale" draft gear box with side "key" detail. Trucks are Tangent 100-ton Barber S-2 units with rotating Timken caps, rolling on CNC-machined 36" all-metal wheels. Couplers are genuine Kadee scale couplers with coupler lift bars, and hidden weights are included to keep the car tracking cleanly on curves and grades. Everything about that spec sheet points to a car that actually runs, not just one that photographs well in a display case.

The March 2026 release includes four railroad schemes plus two RTR unlettered "but painted" options for modelers who want to kitbash, weather, or letter their own cars. The specific railroad names for the four lettered schemes were not listed in the announcement copy, so check the product page directly for the full scheme and car number breakdown. Pricing is also available there rather than in the release text.

Prototype photos and high-resolution model photos are posted at tangentscalemodels.com alongside ordering options, car number selections, and full SKU details. Tangent's announcement language was pointed about availability: "No preorders. No waiting. These cars are available right now." For anyone who has watched other tank car announcements sit in preorder limbo for months, that's a meaningful distinction.