REVIEW: 10016 Fuel Tanker

[WesternOutlaw]

This review takes us inside the My Own Train collection with 10016 Fuel Tanker.

My Own Train Fuel Tanker

Vitals:

Set #: 10016

Theme: Trains / 9V

Year Released: 2001

Piece Count: 128

Minifigs: 0

Track: none

List Price: $20 (USD)

This small little 9V tanker is a wonderful addition to the My Own Train collection, originally selling for just $20 (USD). It features a nice variety of Christmas colors with Red, Green, White, and Black (as well as a splash of dark grey). Let's take a look at the box with very unique "My Own Train box art":

The back of the box features the four other My Own Train rolling stock sets that includes the open freight wagon (10013), caboose (10014), passenger car (10015), and hopper (10017):

There's nothing special about the instruction booklet with just plain and simple building images:

Let's have a look at the build. The train starts with a typical base, but in its middle is the start of the frame to hold the tanker halves:

Four 2x6 plates with tiles are created for the sides of the wagon. The Octan signs are very nice printed pieces. In fact, the set has no stickers:

A separate sub-assembly is constructed to connect to the middle section:

Once attached, it looks like this:

Two half tanker sections are created, each using a plate layer of red (for the base), and green (on the top):

A large radar piece is placed on the ends to cap off the tanker sections nicely:

This is what the main tanker looks like once assembled:

And a view from the side:

Two simple and identical bogies create the wheel sections for the tanker:

Once complete, the set looks like this:

And lastly, a diagonal view in Train Town:

Summary

10016 Fuel Tanker is a fantastic train set. Train cars like this (at a reasonable price) would make great additions to the new PF Hobby Train collection. While the set is missing a middle section between the wheels (my only complaint), the use of printed pieces, especially the Octan tiles make up for it. One can always modify the set to add a simple middle section if they'd like (with just a few additional pieces). I'd love to see a new tanker similar to this, but with chrome plated tanker sections. Wouldn't that be great? I should also point out that the tanker is exactly 8 studs wide, in case you're wondering. It does look rather wide. With the layers of red and green plates, this tanker makes a nice addition to the BNSF freight locomotive. I hope you've enjoyed this My Own Train review. You may even see this train wagon in a scene from Murder on the Emerald Express, for those following the mystery.

[The Cobra]

I've never been into Lego train, but when I started surfing the net looking at each and every set ever made, this one looked great to me.

And thanks for the review.

[legotrainfan]

For me this set is average. In my opinion the tanker sections are oversized. This waggon doesn't go well with smaller locomotives. But there's something else that I don't like about this waggon: the octan signs look as if they're in an aging process, but the rest of the waggon does not. That's not very logical.

Anyway, though I find this waggon oversized, I wanted it to complete the My Own Train collection. If I hadn't bought it, I'd probably regret it now.

[mikey]

I think this tanker looks really nice as it is, I think the proportions are just right, although I do agree about the printed Octan signs. They should not be rusty! I think the large quarter circle parts could be really usefull for all sorts of MOC's. The concept of selling seperate sets of rolling stock is a excellent idea, you could build an interesting cargo train with a few multiple purchases, so it would be a good idea for Lego to relaunch the concept now.

I think a great review of a great set.

[paul_delahaye]

I like this carriage lots, so much so I bought 9 or 10 copies of this set, partly so I could use the tanks as a Octan fuel storage depot alongside my railway but i have not got around to building that yet.

I also think the build of the hopper is very good, I bought 4 copies of the hopper set.

I hope lego goes the Hornby way and sells a lot more of these small train sets (a bit like the good ol days of lego trains as well

[osakana]

This small little 9V tanker (...) 8-wide

Computer says "no".

[Brickthus]

Thanks for the review Brickster.

I liked the size of the tanker. At last TLG make 8-wide trains!

They'd look good behind the Emerald Night, though changing its front bogie to a 2-wheel set might be more authentic, aping a V2 rather than an A1 Pacific.

I bought 5 tankers because they make a ready-to-run rake.

However, the only tankers this short that have bogies are chemical tankers, with loads such as liquid chlorine. These have a horizontal red stripe, difficult to do with the round pieces.

Therefore I converted a tanker to 4-wheel operation with a wheel scheme more like this.

I also bought 2 of the hoppers, 10 cabooses and 10 log wagons.

The hoppers provided inspiration for these hoppers.

The log wagons had lots of brown round bricks for trees.

The coaches might have been useful, though a mix of 1x2x3 and 1x4x3 windows would have been more useful.

Mark

[legofan]

WOW! MR Mark, 2 of the hoppers, 5 tankers, 10 cabooses and 10 log wagons!!! My god!!

Thanks for the wonderful review Brickster! Very nice set superbly reviewed! I kinda like this tanker now that u have reviewed it. It looks great, big enough and the tankers are brick built! I was afraid it would be a huge cylindrical piece like that of the plane nose... Wish i could get my hands on it when i love into freight.. Right now, fancy still appeals to me better~~

Cheers! And thanks again for a wonderful review of a great set!!

[Zorro]

I love you review and, although not being a train collecter, do also like the set.

I think this set will be bought by many train builders!

[Brickthus]

WOW! MR Mark, 2 of the hoppers, 5 tankers, 10 cabooses and 10 log wagons!!!

...

For many years now I have been buying sets primarily for the parts they contain. If a set has a high yield (i.e. I can use nearly 100% of the parts for something useful) then it is the cheapest way to buy! I did buy them before Pick-a-Brick was around though. As for the quantity, that's part of the budget process, for which there are threads in the General folder.

Take the log wagon as an example:

Build the wagon bases and put anything you like on them. In my case, use half the wheels to make 4-wheel wagons with a tested wheel pivot scheme. Keep the other wheels for other vehicles. Round bricks for trees. Other bricks are generally useful. The key is to assess the contents of a set before buying. Lots of planning!

The tankers were best as ready-to-run sets with just a wheel conversion. The closest I had been for a while to buying sets for the model they are rather than just the parts they contain. Their higher price-per-piece than the log wagon, owing to the larger parts, was offset by the high yield - a ready-to-run wagon and 2 spare wheelsets every time!

Mark

[SeaKing61]

This is my favourite of the My Own Train series. I even built clones of it in white and red. I've always admired its simple design. They're all pretty awesome though. I hope Lego brings out more single wagons, they're great for expanding a railway without cashing out for a whole new train.

Laurie

[Topsy Cret]

Very nice review, Brickster! Unfortunately, this was one of those sets that I never ended up getting. I agree, a newer model is just what the doctor ordered!