Athearn ACF 4600 (HO and N)

[cjm413]

The 4600 is both longer and lower than the 4650.  As Gary said, not noticeable sitting alone, but side by side it's obvious.  The 4600 will be useful for me, as proper CB&Q CFs haven't been available before in N scale.

The MT 4650 car is usable for the GN and NP cars, but is too modern.  It needs the earlier side rib, and continuous trough hatches, but is still better than kitbashing the 1970s Atlas 4-bay.

Don't forget about these:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=200286

[sirenwerks]

These are the cars that IM and MTL already make, right?

Both are later versions, though foob early schemes have been put on both.  The eraly 4600s are a smart bet, if that's what Athearn is choosing to do, since they lasted so long in service and would be at home on any layout set from their manufacture dates in the 60s through today.

[cjm413]

Both are later versions, though foob early schemes have been put on both.  The eraly 4600s are a smart bet, if that's what Athearn is choosing to do, since they lasted so long in service and would be at home on any layout set from their manufacture dates in the 60s through today.

The BN number series referenced by Athearn would be for an early 4600:

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/bn_cars/bn_number/455800-455999.htm

[sirenwerks]

Don't forget about these:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=200286

Wouldn't that be the Bachmann car, with its god-awful thick paint? 

[nkalanaga]

cjm413:  How could I?  They were built for potato hauling from the Columbia Basin, and were a common sight in Pasco.  Ugliest cars I ever saw, but I'd love to have one.

Ugly is saying something, because the CB&Q's wood-side "War Emergency" two-bay hoppers ended their lives hauling sugar beets in Washington.  They should have been scrapped, but someone decided that they were still useful.  The ones with the holes in the sides covered with old grain doors were bad enough, but the last straw, literally, was when they started plugging the holes with straw.  No point replacing the broken boards, because they were all rotten.  The cars were finally taken out of service after the bottom fell out of one between Pasco and Yakima, at speed, dumping a full load of beets in the middle of the main line.

Sirenwerks:  Bachmann made a model of the ACF demonstrator paint scheme, but for all of their faults, it still couldn't match the prototype for ugliness.  Those sides aren't just dirty, the car is actually sprayed with foam insulation, so rain and dirt could soak in, making it impossible to clean the car.  These are probably the first, and possibly the only, refrigerated covered hoppers ever built.  ACF had 10, the NP bought 50, then bought the ACF cars as well.  Those were apparently the only ones built.

Someone had an article on one of the magazines years ago on modelling the things.  If I remember right, they covered the car with glue, then poured sand on it, to get the texture.  I bet decaling it was fun.

[squirrelhunter]

ATSF had some of those too. Painted bright orange.

I have to image they had a hard time getting the potatoes to unload properly.

[cjm413]

cjm413:  How could I?  They were built for potato hauling from the Columbia Basin, and were a common sight in Pasco.  Ugliest cars I ever saw, but I'd love to have one.

Ugly is saying something, because the CB&Q's wood-side "War Emergency" two-bay hoppers ended their lives hauling sugar beets in Washington.  They should have been scrapped, but someone decided that they were still useful.  The ones with the holes in the sides covered with old grain doors were bad enough, but the last straw, literally, was when they started plugging the holes with straw.  No point replacing the broken boards, because they were all rotten.  The cars were finally taken out of service after the bottom fell out of one between Pasco and Yakima, at speed, dumping a full load of beets in the middle of the main line.

Sirenwerks:  Bachmann made a model of the ACF demonstrator paint scheme, but for all of their faults, it still couldn't match the prototype for ugliness.  Those sides aren't just dirty, the car is actually sprayed with foam insulation, so rain and dirt could soak in, making it impossible to clean the car.  These are probably the first, and possibly the only, refrigerated covered hoppers ever built.  ACF had 10, the NP bought 50, then bought the ACF cars as well.  Those were apparently the only ones built.

Someone had an article on one of the magazines years ago on modelling the things.  If I remember right, they covered the car with glue, then poured sand on it, to get the texture.  I bet decaling it was fun.

A company called Digital Fox offered stock Accurail (HO) 4600's with simulated insulation, but without the additional appliances (or modifications to backdate the Accurail model for NP)

http://www.digitalfox.com/digitalfox/soldout.htm

ATSF also purchased these cars:

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=58399

[nkalanaga]

OK, I didn't know that the Santa Fe had them.

And I don't know why they didn't work out, but suspect that most shippers didn't want to replace, or rebuild, their loading conveyors.  Many of the Northwest potatoes were shipped in iced reefers, although they were often used as insulated/ventilated cars, without the ice.  The loading conveyors were designed to load through the doors, and wouldn't have reached the roof hatches.

The receiving customers would have been set up to unload through the door, and probably would have had to make a lot of changes for bottom unloading between the rails, which likely made them even less popular.

The idea was good, but unlike grain, potatoes weren't generally poured into a car from an elevator, so the covered hopper wasn't a good fit for the load.

Trivia:  After they quit icing reefers, the BN used some of them for grain.  Remove the bunkers, seal the drains, and pour the grain in through the ice hatches.  No need for grain doors, as the reefer doors sealed tightly, so they worked at least as well as boxcars.  The elevators didn't like them, because they held less grain than a standard boxcar, but if cars were in short supply, they were better than nothing.  They were preferred over the converted stock cars...