Introduction

Athearn Genesis G1534 HO Scale ACF 4600 Covered Hopper Western Pacific WP 11999

The 3-bay Center Flow covered hopper first entered service in the mid-1960s, built by American Car and Foundry. The cars handle loads such as grain, corn and similar bulk commodities. The Center Flow design relies on the cars rounded body to provide structural strength – eliminating the traditional center sill, and making gravity unloading easier.

Athearn’s 3-bay car represents the common 4600 cu.ft. capacity version. The railroads looking to replace their aging 40 box cars in grain service needed a modern hopper design – one that could operate within the tighter Plate B clearances for light branchline and industrial service. ACFs design won them many contracts from a plethora of railroads. One can find these cars still in revenue service today in grain trains and other similar service.

FEATURES:

• Three body styles:
• Early – High side ladder & brake wheel, single side stiffener
• Mid – Low brake wheel, short side ladders both ends, single side stiffener
• Late – As above but with double side stiffeners (post 1971)
• Round or trough hatches
• Photo-etched metal roofwalk
• Separately applied wire grab irons, stirrup steps, and brake wheel
• Numerous detailed outlet versions
• Separate brake cylinder, valve and air reservoir with wire brake plumbing
• Screw-mounted trucks
• Body-mounted McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers
• Weighted for optimum performance
• Genesis 100-ton trucks with 36 machined metal wheels and animated spinning roller bearing caps
• Accurately painted and printed
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body
• Minimum radius: 18″