Athearn PS 4427 Covered Hopper

[cfritschle]

Dan,

Some that I would like to see in N are the UP National Steel Car covered hoppers:

UP Class CH-100-119 - UP series 88350 to 89349 - Built 1994 - 5100 cubic foot

UP Class CH-100-121 - UP series 90350 to 91499 - Built January - April 1996 (Most with "We will deliver . . ." slogan) - 5127 cubic foot

And, the Trinity 4750 cubic foot covered hoppers:

UP Class CH-100-118 - UP series 87200 to 88349 - Built October - December 1993

IM has painted their PS 4750 in the UP 87200 to 88349 number series, but there are enough difference that it would be really nice to have the correct Trinity version.

[RSWController]

I know you mentioned it but I think we need a updated 4-bay 5250. Atlas does a great job with lettering but without updated walkways they stick out next to IM and Athearn.

[Mark5]

I know you mentioned it but I think we need a updated 4-bay 5250. Atlas does a great job with lettering but without updated walkways they stick out next to IM and Athearn.

Aye, we need both early and late versions.

[wazzou]

Are there any grain cars left to cover in N? I'm not knowledgeable of this part of the industry.

What we have so far (i think)...

ACF 4650: MTL, IM,   

***

...Still missing the early version of these with the horizontal stiffener more appropriate for the late '60's modeler.

[RockGp40]

Are there any grain cars left to cover in N? I'm not knowledgeable of this part of the industry.

What we have so far (i think)...

ACF Early Centerflow: Bowser/Deleware Valley
ACF 4600: Athearn [multiple versions]
ACF 4650: MTL, IM,
ACF 5250: Atlas, MP, Bachmann [all outdated tooling]
ACF 5701: Atlas
ACF 5748: Atlas
Evans/Magor 4750: MTL
FMC 4700: FVM/RC/PM
Gunderson 5188: Scale Trains
HS 4550 Canadian hopper: NARC
NSC 4540 Canadian hopper: IM, CS Models
NSC 4650 US export: Bachmann
PS-2 4000: Atlas/BLMA, Exactrail
PS-2 4427 low sill: Atlas/Walthers, Exactrail
PS-2 4427 high sill: MTL, Trainworx, Athearn
PS-2 4740: FVM/RC/PM
PS-2 4750: FMV/RC/PM
PS-2 4785: Scale Trains
Thrall 4750: Atlas, IM [maybe slightly different versions?]
Trinity 5161: IM, Exactrail

The Thrall 5150 and 5400 come to mind. I've been hoping for these forever.

[cjm413]

Are there any grain cars left to cover in N? I'm not knowledgeable of this part of the industry.

What we have so far (i think)...

ACF Early Centerflow: Bowser/Deleware Valley
ACF 4600: Athearn [multiple versions]
ACF 4650: MTL, IM,
ACF 5250: Atlas, MP, Bachmann [all outdated tooling]
ACF 5701: Atlas
ACF 5748: Atlas
Evans/Magor 4750: MTL
FMC 4700: FVM/RC/PM
Gunderson 5188: Scale Trains
HS 4550 Canadian hopper: NARC
NSC 4540 Canadian hopper: IM, CS Models
NSC 4650 US export: Bachmann
PS-2 4000: Atlas/BLMA, Exactrail
PS-2 4427 low sill: Atlas/Walthers, Exactrail
PS-2 4427 high sill: MTL, Trainworx, Athearn
PS-2 4740: FVM/RC/PM
PS-2 4750: FMV/RC/PM
PS-2 4785: Scale Trains
Thrall 4750: Atlas, IM [maybe slightly different versions?]
Trinity 5161: IM, Exactrail

A few corrections:

Evans 4780 is not identical to the early Magor 4750's, let alone the later Magor/Fruehauf 4750's.

IMRC makes PS 4750, not Thrall.

The Trainworx coupler adaptors used by FVM on the PS 4740's and 4750's are functionally compatible, but the horizontal bracing on the coupler adaptors doesn't match the horizontal bracing on the carbody.  They are a good match for the FMC 4700, Greenville 3000, and original PM RTC 4750 (tooling was modified to make the current PS 4750's), but it would be nice to have a separate part that worked on the two PS cars.

There are still plenty of prototypes to cover...

[cjm413]

Dan,

Some that I would like to see in N are the UP National Steel Car covered hoppers:

UP Class CH-100-119 - UP series 88350 to 89349 - Built 1994 - 5100 cubic foot

UP Class CH-100-121 - UP series 90350 to 91499 - Built January - April 1996 (Most with "We will deliver . . ." slogan) - 5127 cubic foot

And, the Trinity 4750 cubic foot covered hoppers:

UP Class CH-100-118 - UP series 87200 to 88349 - Built October - December 1993

IM has painted their PS 4750 in the UP 87200 to 88349 number series, but there are enough difference that it would be really nice to have the correct Trinity version.

Trinity also built their own 4750's before acquiring PS.   The early cars actually looked more like the 4750's built by RTC, Ingalls, Berwick, etc than the later cars.

[cjm413]

I know you mentioned it but I think we need a updated 4-bay 5250. Atlas does a great job with lettering but without updated walkways they stick out next to IM and Athearn.

The ends on the Atlas 5250 are crap.   Even Bachmann did them the right way...except for making the A end identical to the B end...

[cjm413]

A few more common prototypes that come to mind:
-Early Magor 4750
-GATC 4500
-GATC 4600
-GATC 4700
-Marine Industries 4650 (export)
-Trinity 4750 (post P-S version)

[nkalanaga]

Yes, we definitely need new early and late ACF 5250s, and an early ACF 4650.  I seem to remember IM advertising the early 4650 several years ago, in one of the magazines, and then never mentioning it again.

The 5250 was primarily a chemical (plastic pellets?) car, but the GN had a batch with trough hatches for grain service.  Atlas did a nice job or painting and lettering theirs, but a more accurate model would be nice. 

Improving the ends of the Atlas 5250 is quick and easy, although it doesn't bring the car up to modern standards.  All it takes is two end braces and a floor, which also allows the couplers to be body mounted.  The floor is simple, but the end braces can be hard to get right.  Doing that at least improves the silhouette, without requiring surgery on the car itself.

Atlas could make a piece to do the job, and it would just slide in, no cutting needed.  Other than painting to match your model, it would literally be a five minute job (except for paint drying), especially if they cast a starter hole for the coupler screw.  Drill it out, tap it, paint the part, let it dry (takes longer than five minutes), install the coupler (1015 or 1025 - the same hole would work for either), glue the part in.

[nscalbitz]

Yes, we definitely need new early ...
Atlas could make a piece to do the job, and it would just slide in, no cutting needed.

But would they?- at the cost of minimal parts and changes to a 'paradigm' they'd recover the estimable gratitude of innumerable zealots and collectors.
 Yet paying for big time new models (ie collecting on defrayed manfr costs) is a relic of the past it seems. Unless companies diversify their processes and income streams, they are doomed to extinction. Those that don't, wont wake up anyway.
Glad people can afford them, me, I've been refurbishing 'old' cars as best I can for 20 odd years, relic of Depression Era parenting...
cheers d

[cjm413]

Yes, we definitely need new early and late ACF 5250s, and an early ACF 4650.  I seem to remember IM advertising the early 4650 several years ago, in one of the magazines, and then never mentioning it again.

The 5250 was primarily a chemical (plastic pellets?) car, but the GN had a batch with trough hatches for grain service.  Atlas did a nice job or painting and lettering theirs, but a more accurate model would be nice. 

Improving the ends of the Atlas 5250 is quick and easy, although it doesn't bring the car up to modern standards.  All it takes is two end braces and a floor, which also allows the couplers to be body mounted.  The floor is simple, but the end braces can be hard to get right.  Doing that at least improves the silhouette, without requiring surgery on the car itself.

Atlas could make a piece to do the job, and it would just slide in, no cutting needed.  Other than painting to match your model, it would literally be a five minute job (except for paint drying), especially if they cast a starter hole for the coupler screw.  Drill it out, tap it, paint the part, let it dry (takes longer than five minutes), install the coupler (1015 or 1025 - the same hole would work for either), glue the part in.

Someone should remind Pat Sanders @ Trainworx that DRGW had ACF 5250's...