Bachmann HO Pennsylvania #498647 Three-Dome Tank Car (17108) Guide

Bachmann HO Scale 40-Foot Three-Dome Tank Car — Pennsylvania #498647, item 17108, is a fully assembled HO model of a three-compartment tank car. Its Pennsylvania identity and road number are the main checks to use when comparing this release with other tank cars. Bachmann item 17108, HO scale, and UPC 022899171081 identify the exact model.

Item 17108 specifications

• Manufacturer: Bachmann
• Car type: Three-dome tank car
• Railroad and number: Pennsylvania #498647
• Scale: HO, 1:87
• Item number: 17108
• UPC: 022899171081
• Store SKU: BAC17108

Bachmann’s product information gives model measurements of 6.25 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, and 2 inches high. The car has a detailed open underframe, separately applied ladders, brake wheel, warning placards, and metal handrails. Bachmann also lists added weight, detailed trucks with see-through sideframes, blackened metal wheels with RP25 contours, and magnetically operated E-Z Mate Mark II couplers.

Why a tank car has three domes

Bachmann explains that three-dome tank cars were built from the late 1900s through the mid-1940s. The compartments allowed customers to receive different grades of liquid in separate sections of the same car. Prototype examples carried many kinds of liquids, including fuel and food products, though not mixed together in one compartment. Some cars were industry-owned and appeared in distinctive paint schemes; a smaller number later moved into maintenance-of-way work.

That background explains why the three-dome silhouette differs from a single-dome tank car. It also makes this style a useful visual choice for an older freight scene, industry siding, or tank-car display. Bachmann’s general prototype history provides context for the type but does not establish a particular service assignment for Pennsylvania #498647.

Fit and operation on an HO layout

HO scale is 1:87. Use the 6.25-inch model length and 2-inch height when planning storage, trackside clearances, or display space. Because the car is fully assembled, no kit construction is required; inspect the separately applied details before handling and avoid lifting it by a handrail or ladder.

Before operating, confirm that the E-Z Mate Mark II couplers work with your other cars and test the tank car through your layout’s curves and turnouts. Check clearances near platforms, tunnels, and loading structures using the actual model. The manufacturer provides dimensions but no minimum curve radius on the reviewed page, so verify any layout-specific requirement in current Bachmann documentation.

Receiving and checking the model

On arrival, match the road number and item number to the package, then inspect the ladders, handrails, trucks, and couplers for damage. Record any operating observations separately from the manufacturer’s feature list, which describes the model as supplied.

Identify the Pennsylvania release

Compare the Pennsylvania lettering, #498647 road number, Bachmann part 17108, and HO scale marking. Browse Bachmann model trains, all model trains, and the HO scale train collection. For another three-dome tank car, compare the HO scale freight car guide and verify its separate railroad and number.

View Bachmann HO Pennsylvania #498647 three-dome tank car (17108)

Manufacturer reference: Bachmann 40' Three Dome Tank Car — Pennsylvania #498647, item 17108.

Written and checked October 18, 2026 against the exact store listing and Bachmann item page. Check the live listing for current price and availability.