Model Train Guides
Bachmann HO Staroline Gasoline #438 Tank Car: Item 17817 Guide
Bachmann’s HO scale 40-foot single-dome tank car lettered Staroline Gasoline #438 is a specific freight-car release with an easy-to-spot company name and car number. This guide identifies the exact item, summarizes manufacturer-listed features, and gives practical checks for layout operation. The lettering names the model release, but a precise claim about what prototype #438 carried or where it ran still needs historical evidence.
Confirm Staroline item 17817
- Manufacturer: Bachmann
- Scale: HO, 1:87
- Car type: 40-foot single-dome tank car
- Lettering and number: Staroline Gasoline #438
- Bachmann item number: 17817
- UPC: 022899178172
- Muncle Mikes SKU: BAC17817
Use the item number and UPC to separate this release from other single-dome tank cars in Bachmann’s lineup. Scale and body style alone are not enough: other models share the basic car form but carry different owners, names, and numbers. Check for the full Staroline Gasoline lettering and #438 on the product image or package before adding the car to a collection roster.
Features Bachmann lists
Bachmann describes item 17817 as HO 1:87 and lists a detailed painted body with precision graphics, an open underframe, separately applied ladders, brake wheel and metal handrails, added weight, detailed trucks with see-through sideframes, and blackened metal wheels with RP25 contours. The car is equipped with magnetically operated E-Z Mate Mark II couplers.
These specifications are useful in different ways. The graphics identify the release in a freight consist. The open underframe and see-through truck sideframes expose details that are easy to miss in a top-down photograph. The separately applied ladders and metal handrails are small parts to protect during unpacking and handling. The listed couplers and wheels are starting points for checking compatibility; they do not guarantee performance on every track or with every coupler standard.
Interpret the word “Gasoline” carefully
The model title includes “Gasoline,” which makes the car’s intended appearance clear. It does not prove that every real car carrying the #438 number hauled gasoline at every point in its service. Tank-car use could vary over time, and the company name alone cannot verify an exact route, customer, shipment, or date. For a historically specific display, look for a dated roster, photograph, or company document that refers to the prototype number and operating era you plan to model.
Bachmann’s general description of this single-dome car family notes that riveted tank designs represented cars delivered between the late 1920s and early 1940s, before welded construction became more common. The manufacturer also describes use by private owners and the later conversion of some remaining examples to maintenance-of-way water-supply service. This provides broad context for the type, not proof of a particular construction date or later reassignment for Staroline #438.
If you are building a fictional or loosely representative consist, you can use the model as a Staroline-marked tank car without making a claim about its exact prototype history. Marking an estimate as an estimate keeps your layout notes useful and honest.
Plan a scene or operating role
Because the lettering explicitly names gasoline, the car can add a recognizable fuel-related element to an industry scene or private-owner roster. The scene can show a tank car waiting near a facility, moving through an interchange, or traveling in a general freight, depending on your layout’s story. Those are modeling options, not evidence that prototype #438 served any particular facility.
For a display shelf, orient the model so the name and number are readable. For an operating roster, record Bachmann item 17817 and the road number together. If you later find a source that ties #438 to a specific year or assignment, add that source to your notes rather than changing the car’s identity.
Check operation before building a long train
Inspect the car after unpacking. Confirm that its wheels rotate freely, trucks pivot, couplers move as intended, and detail parts remain in place. Check coupler height with your usual gauge and roll the car through the tightest curve and turnout on your layout. Try magnetic uncoupling if you use it in operations, then run the car in a short consist before adding it to a longer train.
HO scale does not specify the minimum curve radius for your track plan. A direct test tells you whether this model, your track, and the rest of the equipment work together. If you see a derailment or binding, test the car by itself to isolate the problem and consult Bachmann’s current service guidance before adjusting wheels or details.
Quick checklist for #438
- Confirm Bachmann item 17817 or UPC 022899178172.
- Match the Staroline Gasoline name and #438 number.
- Verify HO scale (1:87) fits your intended roster.
- Inspect the underframe, ladders, handrails, trucks, wheels, and couplers.
- Test rollability, curves, turnouts, and uncoupling on your actual layout.
- Find a prototype source before stating exact cargo or service history.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Bachmann 17817?
It is an HO 1:87 40-foot single-dome tank car release lettered Staroline Gasoline #438.
What couplers does Bachmann list?
The product page lists magnetically operated E-Z Mate Mark II couplers. Verify operation with your own track and equipment.
Does the word gasoline establish what the prototype carried?
It identifies the model’s lettering, but it does not establish a complete service history. Use a dated primary source for exact historical claims.
In short: Bachmann item 17817 is the HO Staroline Gasoline #438 single-dome tank car. Match the item number, protect its small details, test it on your layout, and separate the model’s markings from facts that need prototype research.
View the Bachmann HO Staroline Gasoline #438 tank car product listing
Product identity and features checked against Bachmann’s item 17817 page on October 18, 2026. Check the live store listing for current options and availability.
