Attention Modelers:

Pacific Western Rail Systems is pleased to announce the arrival of this PWRS Exclusive Micro-Trains product. This set is completely sold out.

Last week a number of modelers were unable to obtain this BC Rail Tank Car set as they did not order it prior to the reservation due date. As a reminder, our Pacific Western Rail Systems Exclusive Micro-Trains products are one time run, limited editions. In most cases, there are few if any extra sets made. In order for modelers to ensure they get these sets, they need to order them before the reservation due date. So if you want any of the other upcoming special runs make sure you place your order on time! Most of the sets in stock there are just a handful of sets left.

BC Rail 54 ft General Service Tank Car 4-Pack

Fifth In The North American Petroleum Tank Car Series

BC Rail (reporting mark BCOL, BCIT), known as the British Columbia Railway between 1972 and 1984 and as the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) before 1972, was a railway that operated in the Canadian province of British Columbia between 1912 and 2004. It was a class II regional railway and the third-largest in Canada, operating 2,320 km (1,440 mi) of mainline track. Its operations were owned by the public as a crown corporation from 1918 until 2004, when the provincial government leased operations for 99 years to CN.

On May 13, 2003, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell announced that the government would sell the operations of the railway (including all of the assets other than the rail right-of-way). During the previous election, he had specifically promised not to sell the railway and he maintained that he was keeping this promise, by retaining ownership of the right-of-way and only leasing the land to the operator.

On November 25, 2003, it was announced that Canadian National's (CN) bid of $1 billion would be accepted over those of several other companies. The transaction was closed on July 15, 2004. The original lease of the rail right of way was for 60 years with a 30 year option to renew. However, it has been reported that there are another fifteen 60 year options to renew the lease in the contract documents and CN would not have to pay anything additional to keep operating for 990 years. At each of these renew dates, the BC government would have the option of buying back all of the assets from CN. Conversely, as of July 15, 2009, the fifth anniversary of the contract, CN has the right to decommission any part of the line it wishes but upon doing so the land reverts to the Crown though the Crown can sell it back to CN for one dollar if it wants to.

The current provincial government has been accused of fabricating falsehoods about the state of its debts and viability in order to justify the deal with CN, claiming the railway was in disarray. Other participants in the bidding process withdrew their bids, saying that CN had unfair access to confidential information about their own operations, provided by the government, and at least one bidder (Canadian Pacific) privately stated in since-released communications that the bid was "rigged".

Features:

• Limited one time production run of these 4 road numbers
• Micro-Trains trucks and couplers
• Accurate painting and printing with correct road numbers for each paint schemes
• Lighlty weathered to reflect real world appearance
• Will have the older style "circle" reflectors rather than the more modern reflective tape that was later added to BCOL 1969
• These cars do not have road numbers printed on top of tanks
• Two cars will have "British Columbia Railway" lettering:
  • Road Numbers 1966 and 1967 are equippedwith Green trucks matching the color of the car
• Two cars will have "BC Rail" lettering:
  • Road Numbers 1969 and 1970 are equipped with black trucks
• Additional graphics for BCOL 1970:
  
  • Exterior-Alkyd, Do Not Load with Dangerous Goods in Canada

By combining this 4-Pack with past and future releases in our North American Petroleum Tank Car Series, modelers will be able to build a prototypically accurate consist of these cars as seen across North America.

Please See Other PWRS Exclusive Items Below

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JMP