What is this and what model comp. makes them?


jasonelki

Milwaukee Roader
Trying to figure out what this is, what it carrys and who makes them for HO scale? I'd love to get a few for my small layout. Looks like an ACF 2-bay covered hopper, but I'm not positive.

Funny story associated with this specific hopper. While down in Oklahoma visiting family I shot a photo of this hopper back in July 2009. I drove past the yard in Portage, Wi a few weeks back and took a photo of the same hopper! Is this common?
Seems odd, but I think this is the only piece of Winchester and Western Railroad rolling stock I've ever seen.

Thanks!
Jason
 
First off, it looks like an ACF 2-Bay covered hopper to me as well but, I am no expert.

Secondly, taking two photos of the same piece of rolling stock in two different states....that's pretty cool. :cool: Yes, it is pretty common for rolling stock to be used all over the country.

Micro-Trains makes that hopper model in N-Scale and Z-Scale but, I am unsure of any in HO Scale. Now you have me interested and looking for them too. :rolleyes:

I'd like to ask an additional question if I may. What products would get hauled in these small hoppers? :confused:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I believe that this car is a ACF 2970 Cubic Foot Covered Hopper. They haul cement and other heavy dry bulk materials. Athearn makes them in HO scale with several different roadnames and numbers to choose from....

http://searchtrains.horizonhobby.com/index.jsp?D=ACF+acf+2970&Ne=500&sid=126B48314BE5&Ntt=ACF+acf+2970&N=5582+521


**EDIT**

On second viewing of the first photo, I see the words ACF Centerflow on the bottom rail of the hopper. The Hopper is in fact a ACF 2-Bay Centerflow Covered Hopper and Intermountain makes those in HO scale. Intermountain even makes a Winchester & Western Hopper just like the one in the picture above with 6 different road numbers that were available....

http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/html/46514.htm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Searched the railpictures.net site for more info, as they do have tons of rolling stock pics that I totally forgot about, but it only narrowed this hopper down to a 2 bay.
Not sure if they are made more for wt limitations on certain sections of track? Seems like you see them in bunches when you see them.

Cool, I'll have to try and find some of these. Thanks for the info!!

Pricey little devils!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
LOL at first I thought it was the Athearn 2970, but the one in the picture is in fact an ACF Centerflow Covered Hopper, which Intermountain makes in HO (see my last post above, I had to edit it afterwords)

LOL. :D I think I need a nap now. Better stay away from the interwebs for a little bit.
 
FYI: The Athearn is the early car body and the Intermountain is the late car body. IIRC they are pre-1971 and post-1971.

Someone correct the dates if they're wrong.
 
Now this is what I like, being able to see a car in real life and then being able to pick one up in model form. No need to scratch build. Of course, if you like to scratch build then there's nothing wrong with that but my point is that we as modelers are quite lucky with the wide variety of cars and road names on the market these days!
 
Both the Athearn and Intermountain cars are wrong as this car is longer then them. The WW car is a 3220 Cf Car vs the IM and ATH 2970 The IM car can make an OK stand-in but to get the correct car get ready to scratchbuild.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am not familiar enough with the prototype to know if it's a Plate B or C car, but if it meets Plate B clearances, you could start with the Accurail ACF 4600 cf hopper and cut it to length, changing the trough hatches to round and notching out the sides to match the photo.

FWIW, Centerflow is a trade name of ACF indicating the lack of a center sill, which is intended to speed unloading. So really all ACF hoppers contemporary to this model were Centerflow hoppers regardless of their cubic capacity.
 
Searched the railpictures.net site for more info, as they do have tons of rolling stock pics that I totally forgot about, but it only narrowed this hopper down to a 2 bay.
Not sure if they are made more for wt limitations on certain sections of track? Seems like you see them in bunches when you see them.

Cool, I'll have to try and find some of these. Thanks for the info!!

Pricey little devils!!

as mentioned, they carry heavy powders, like cement and specialty sands that have to stay dry (otherwise it is hauled in open top gondolas). They're short because a regular length car could only be filled halfway (or thereabouts) before it reached the weight limit. Plastic pellets and lighter things get carried in longer hoppers because it weighs less per volume (pounds per cubic foot).

The rule of thumb at least for hoppers is that the shorter the hopper, the more dense the stuff is that it is carrying. Technically (and in a very general sense), a short hopper and a long hopper can carry the same gross weight. But since the load in a shorty is so dense, it would max out the load limit on a long hopper before it got full.

For modeling purposes, I really like using shorter cars as you get more "train" in less space. Shorty hoppers, shorty beercan tankcars are common on my route.
 
Both the Athearn and Intermountain cars are wrong as this car is longer then them. The WW car is a 3220 Cf Car vs the IM and ATH 2970 The IM car can make an OK stand-in but to get the correct car get ready to scratchbuild.

Good catch. I didn't.
 
as mentioned, they carry heavy powders, like cement and specialty sands that have to stay dry (otherwise it is hauled in open top gondolas). They're short because a regular length car could only be filled halfway (or thereabouts) before it reached the weight limit. Plastic pellets and lighter things get carried in longer hoppers because it weighs less per volume (pounds per cubic foot).

The rule of thumb at least for hoppers is that the shorter the hopper, the more dense the stuff is that it is carrying. Technically (and in a very general sense), a short hopper and a long hopper can carry the same gross weight. But since the load in a shorty is so dense, it would max out the load limit on a long hopper before it got full.

For modeling purposes, I really like using shorter cars as you get more "train" in less space. Shorty hoppers, shorty beercan tankcars are common on my route.

Now, I have two large lime/cement mine/Plants near me and 90% of the covered hoppers are of the short flavor and the larger hoppers haul fly ash for the cement mix!

Fer ya N scalers I'm not sure which is which size wise but the N- market has a good choices:
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/atl-39279a.htm
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/atl-39202.htm
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Athearn_2_Bay_Centerflow_Hopper_BN_p/ath-23301.htm
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Intermountain_N_ACF_2_Bay_Centerflow_Hopper_MKT_p/imr-66502-19.htm
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Micro_trains_N_2_Bay_ACF_Center_Flow_Covered_p/mtl-09200200.htm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
as mentioned, they carry heavy powders, like cement and specialty sands that have to stay dry (otherwise it is hauled in open top gondolas). They're short because a regular length car could only be filled halfway (or thereabouts) before it reached the weight limit. Plastic pellets and lighter things get carried in longer hoppers because it weighs less per volume (pounds per cubic foot).

The rule of thumb at least for hoppers is that the shorter the hopper, the more dense the stuff is that it is carrying. Technically (and in a very general sense), a short hopper and a long hopper can carry the same gross weight. But since the load in a shorty is so dense, it would max out the load limit on a long hopper before it got full.

For modeling purposes, I really like using shorter cars as you get more "train" in less space. Shorty hoppers, shorty beercan tankcars are common on my route.

Very true. One exception is that the Rock Island carried grain in their 2970's on light lines for a short time in the 1970's.
 
Some also fail to realize that cinders were used for aggregate, as well as gravel, in cement for years. The "shorty covered cars" were used, at times, rather than the open tops to transport them. So, if you have a steam layout, keep a car or two close to your cinder pit along with your open tops.

Bob
 



Back
Top