The Ahm,Tyco,Athearn 4-bay covered hoppers do they have a real life version? I see a lot of 3-bay covered hoppers but not many 4-bay ones. I have a couple that i would like to model however the real life versions are 3-bay not 4-bay. Should i just do them up like the 3- bays or not? Thanks.
Modeling on the cheap
fourt - a Google picture search will give you plenty of prototype pictures for you to see!
The ACF "Center-Flo's" are four bays as is the Bachmann version. The PS-2s like the one Ulrich posted are all 3 bay.
There are a lot of the Center Flo 4 bay in grain service.
I'm guessing he isn't referring to the covered hopper in the photo but rather the CF5250 curve smooth sided covered hopper often used to haul plastic pellets but also grain.
Model Rail Journel did an article on the prototypes which Athearn and several other model makers copied; the article came out back in the 1990's - I have that issue burried in some stacks of old magazines I have but with visitors from England here it's not a good time to search them.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Attached is a picture of a D&RGW 5250CF (Athearn Model) that I painted and decaled.
It is based on a real car, there were a number of railroads and private owners that used the 5250 car. The D&RGW and GN used theirs in grain service and without checking my resources I can not be sure which railroads other than those purchased these cars. A lot of private owners purchased these cars for plastic pellet service.
Of the cars the Athearn is the most prototypical although advanced modelers have been clamoring for an upgraded replacement for years. The AHM/Botchman cars are clones of the Athearn car and as all copies lose some detail in the translation. The TYCO car is a complete foobie as they used the advertising drawing by ACF in the trade magazines and designed a car with circular hatches at one end and trough hatches at the other end, cars came with one or the other. Trough hatches were mainly used in grain service and circular hatches for plastic pellets and chemicals as they were more watertight.
If you have some of the early Athearn Bluebox cars, change the wheels out as the kits come with 33" wheels and they should have 36" wheels for the 100 ton capacity, it will also bring the car up to the correct height so the couplers match other cars correctly.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Accurail has a 3 bay center flo covered hopper of course. Their website has helpful date information for the roadnames they offer.
http://accurail.com/accurail/2000.htm
Dave Nelson
dknelson Accurail has a 3 bay center flo covered hopper of course. Their website has helpful date information for the roadnames they offer. http://accurail.com/accurail/2000.htm Dave Nelson
The bad news with those cars is half of them have foobie road names on them that belong on a Atlas or IMRC 4650CF Car. The Accurail car is a 4600CF car that was made to meet Plate B restrictions by being longer and lower than the 4650CF car that was shorter and taller.
The Athearn and TYCO cars are clones.The AHM/Bachmann car are models of a bigger/longer car.
Looks as if the roads that i wanted to model did not have the 4 bay hopper cars, just the 3 bay ones.
Here are a couple off google...May not be the roads you wanted...
Which railroad name are you modelling?
Found this after about 2 minutes of brousing too...hope it helps...
I like this one...
Cheers...
Chris from down under...
We're all here because we're not all there...
fourtThe Ahm,Tyco,Athearn 4-bay covered hoppers do they have a real life version?
The prototype for these is the ACF 5250, which was produced for a number of years but was not especially common compared to the smaller 3-bay cars. The AHM/Bachmann version represents initial production with the full height side ladders and high brake wheel, while the Athearn/Tyco have 4-rung side ladders and low brake wheels.
As has been mentioned, Tyco used an unrealistic mixture of hatch types. AHM/Bachmann have round hatches only. The Athearn car provides the option of using either round or trough hatches.
None of these are particularly good models by current standards.
Here's a prototype photo from http://rr-fallenflags.org/gn/gn.html , showing a car with the early variation ladders and brake equipment. Again, this is closest to the AHM/Bachmann car, but it has trough hatches, and the side ladders have been shortened to 4 rungs.
Most ACF 5250s were used for things like plastic pellets and varioius chemicals. GN was unusual in utilizing theirs for grain.
I see a lot of 3-bay covered hoppers but not many 4-bay ones. I have a couple that i would like to model however the real life versions are 3-bay not 4-bay. Should i just do them up like the 3- bays or not?
For many years, these 4-bay cars were the only center flows you could get, so modelers wanting 3-bay cars modified them by cutting out one of the bays and centering the other one to give the illusion of a 3-bay version. That isn't really correct, but it's up to you how accurate you want to be.
Intermountain and Atlas have more accurate 3-bay cars representing the very common ACF 4650.
The 4650 is similar overall to the 5250 but isn't as long.
The center flow carbody design evolved and the top of the side sheets and roofline changed to look like this car in the 1970s. This one is also a 4650. Note that both of these have a Plate C stencil like the GN 5250.
This car is the lower Plate B version offered by Accurail, the ACF 4600. Note the lack of the Plate C marking. The proportions of this car are different from the 4650.
This is also a 4600, just an early variation. I'm unaware of any commercial models of this car.
Unfortunately, a high proportion of paint schemes offered on the HO models of the above hoppers have not been correct, especially the Accurail car and any of the 5250s. Atlas and IM have been a lot better.
Rob Spangler
As far as I know, the discharge gates on the Athearn Center-Flow hoppers are only used on plastic pellet cars.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
Wanted to model the rock island ones, however there are all 3 bay. I see a lot of the Vera Sun ones near where i live. Might do that one if there is decals for it, have not looked yet, and maybe the CNW one also.
Microscale does not make the Vera Sun ones, bummer.
MonkeyBucket Center Flows CF5240 Four-Bay Car - produced from 1964 until '82, based on Plate C clearances. Produced by Athearn, Bachmann, and Tyco. (These models were often cut down to three bays to model the 4650.)
Have done a simular mod in N on the Bachmann car, 'cause I'm CHEAP!
Happy with them, and they feel more mine than a better detailed untouched stock model. :-)
fourt Wanted to model the rock island ones, however there are all 3 bay. I see a lot of the Vera Sun ones near where i live. Might do that one if there is decals for it, have not looked yet, and maybe the CNW one also. Microscale does not make the Vera Sun ones, bummer.
Not so, the Rock Island had 10 5250CF ACF Covered Hopper #13978 to 13987, of course finding decals may be a problem, will probably need some other covered hopper decals and capacity decals from someplace else.
Very informative topic here. I was unaware that the 4-bay cars were used for grain service, which I model. Now I have a use for my Athearn cars.
Modeling whatever I can make out of that stash of kits that takes up half my apartment's spare bedroom.
Was not sure on how to post quote.
Where did you see those rock island units, none of my books or magazines show any 4 bay units. Will double check when i get home.
http://rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=CRIP&Page=4
Not showing those numbers, for what that is worth anyway.
Funney thing if you do a search for those numbers, this post is the number 1 on the list.
fourt Where did you see those rock island units, none of my books or magazines show any 4 bay units. Will double check when i get home. http://rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=CRIP&Page=4 Not showing those numbers, for what that is worth anyway. Funney thing if you do a search for those numbers, this post is the number 1 on the list.
Lee A. Gautreaux has an extensive website with a lot of roster information, mainly SP and SSW but has been adding other railroads as well.
Here is the RI page:
http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/ri_cars/ri_number/index.htm
Glad to help!
Well i am blind i guess, found one picture of the 4-bay hoppers on page 65 of the R.I. color guide to freight and passenger equipment.
Will look at the other web site when i get a chance. Getting ready for work right now.