Arriving now at your favorite hobby dealers is Athearn’s latest production of ACF 4600 cubic foot Center Flow Covered Hoppers. These highly detailed cars are part of Athearn’s premium Genesis product line. From 1965 through 1981, over 15,000 cars of this highly popular design were built by American Car & Foundry for the transport of grain, phosphates, clay, salt, malts and sugar.
Unlike ACF 4650 cubic foot Center Flow cars that may seem outwardly and functionally similar, the ACF 4600 features a smaller AAR Plate B profile that is shorter in height and narrower in width, but at 55 ½ feet long over the running boards, the 4600 is 3.5 feet longer than the comparable 4650 built to a taller and wider Plate C clearance diagram.
Athearn’s highly detailed offerings replicating the ACF 4600 hopper family covers three major production variations of the ACF 4600 in early, mid and late production body styles. Details begin with photoetched metal roofwalks and crossover platforms and a variety of different styles of roof hatches and outlet gates corresponding to each prototype. Further details include separately applied wire grab irons, stirrup steps, brake wheel, a full complement of ABD brake hardware with wire brake plumbing, screw mounted Genesis 100-ton trucks with 36” CNC machined metal wheelsets and animated roller bearings and more.
Road names for this release include Rock Island, Western Pacific, Burlington Northern (two different lettering variations), First Union Rail (FURX) and Saint Marys Railway West. Responding to customer input, Undecorated ACF 4600s are also furnished in both mid and late body styles. Multiple road numbers offered per livery where appropriate. MSRP $64.99 each. Available now.
Athearn Trains · Athearn.com
Delivered in March of 1975, the Western Pacific rostered 35 ACF 4600s numbered from WP 11966-12000. These cars featured round roof hatches and gravity outlets. This model features the post-1971 “late body” with dual side stiffeners along the top sides of the car.
End views of these cars reveal three different styles of roof hatches and two styles of running boards between the Rock Island, WP, and Burlington Northern cars, respectively. Three different styles of outlet gates are also provided, corresponding to each prototype.
Exhibiting faded green paint and rusty looking brown trucks, Burlington Northern 455835 represents a 1990s era car that was once repainted in the 1980s. This car began life as part of a group of 200 cars delivered to the Burlington Northern in June of 1970 with longitudinal roof hatches and gravity outlets down below. With its build date of June 1970, this model features Athearn’s “mid” body style with a single horizontal side stiffener and low-mounted brakewheel.
