Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

Back to reviews index

This review appeared in the November, 2001 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman Magazine. Reproduced with permission of Carstens Publications.

ACF 4,650 CUBIC FOOT, CENTER FLOW COVERED HOPPER: HO SCALE

Review by: KEN GOSLETT

The latest HO scale freight cars from Atlas are fine models of the American Car & Foundry 4,650 cubic foot capacity covered hopper car. The models come fully assembled, painted and ready-to-run in a variety of prototypically accurate paint schemes.

Covered hopper cars are an evolution of the bottom discharge hopper car and are among the most common modern freight cars. In their earliest form, these cars were made by placing a lid over an open top car, thereby, protecting the load from weather damage and contamination. Initially popular for the transport of cement powder, covered hoppers were expanded to haul grain, corn, potash, industrial chemicals and plastic pellets.

Covered hoppers vary greatly in size depending upon the density and weight of the lading to be carried. Several car shapes have been tried as well. Straight sided cars from Trinity Industries and Pullman have competed with cylindrical cars from Canadian builders. American Car and Foundry (ACF) favored a somewhat tear drop cross section for a unique line of covered hoppers known by the trademark name “Center Flow.”

For their HO models, Atlas has chosen the popular 4,650 cubic foot ACF Center Flow covered hopper cars. Over 15,000 of these were built from 1964 until 1982. The prototype cars had three gravity discharge outlets and were built to taller Plate C clearances than the longer ACF 4,600 cubic foot Plate B versions.

ACF built three versions of the car. The earliest had full height side ladders and a smooth stiffening rib along the top of the side. A second version had the same smooth rib but only low height ladders. The final variation had longitudinal ridges along the stiffener. Atlas has chosen to replicate two of the three versions of the cars. Atlas No. 1400 series models represent cars built from September 1966 until July 1971, the second version of the prototype 4650. This is a wise choice as it permits modeling many of the “fallen flag” paint schemes. Models in the No. 1450 series duplicate the final, post 1971 versions. Two different gate arrangements and three different hatch types are applied to match prototype practice.

The models’ bodies are injection molded in styrene. Ladder rungs are finely cast and have bolt head detail at their ends. The discharge hoppers are well detailed. With shaker brackets, flange plates and gate operating rods. Pull hooks and stirrup steps are cast into the side sills. Roof hatches are the continuous trough type and have excellent detail relief on the locking bars. The see-through, etched-metal roofwalk is the crowning touch. It is thin, yet durable, and its rectangular holes project realistic shadows onto the roof below.

The overall effect is very genuine and is complemented by state-of-the art decorating. Our sample was a pre-1971 car painted a light gray and lettered for Erie-Lackawanna. Printing was crisp and clear even in difficult locations such as the sides of the hopper gate adjacent to the shaker brackets.

Assembly of the model had been done flawlessly. No glue was evident anywhere on the car and the roofwalk was attached straight and square. Modelers who have glued a metal roofwalk to a plastic model will appreciate how well Atlas has managed this difficult task.

The car weighs 5 ¾ ounces and rides on beautiful done 36” wheels with narrow, prototype-looking tread. The narrow tread wheels caused no derailments on our test layout that boasts a variety of commercial turnouts, some dating back to the time of Columbus. These difficult turnouts did not cause the model any trouble. It rolled through them with ease.

In fact, the Atlas 4650 was the free-rolling champion of our product tests. Placed at the summit of out layout’s gravity hill, it accelerated like a rocket and to the astonishment of all observers, did not derail as it shot through curves at record speeds.

Accumate plastic knuckle couplers are installed in the coupler pockets and secured by screws for easy replacement if desired.

The Atlas Center Flow 4,650 cubic foot covered hoppers are beautiful freight car models. Initially, the pre-1971 model is offered in schemes for Erie-Lackawanna, Great Northern, New York Central and Thiele Kaolin. The post-1971 car carries Soo Line, Southern Pacific or Western Pacific colors. With them Atlas has scored another home run. --