Model Railroader – October 2019

October 2019 61

An American Car & Foundry (ACF)
4,600-cubic-foot-capacity covered hop-
per is the latest freight car to join the
Athearn Genesis lineup. The HO scale
model is offered in three body styles and
features see-through etched-metal run-
ning boards, factory-installed and
painted wire grab irons, and 100-ton
trucks with rotating bearing caps.

The prototype. American Car &
Foundry started production of the
4,600-cubic-foot-capacity Center Flow in
January 1965. From the start of produc-
tion through August 1971, the cars fea-
tured a single stiffener that ran horizon-
tally along the car side. Cars built after
that had parallel horizontal stiffeners

near the top of the side. By the end of the

production run in October 1981, more

than 15,000 ACF 4600s were built.

Our sample is decorated as Louisville

& Nashville no. 200570, part of the rail-

road’s 200400 through 200599 series.

The first 50 cars, 200400 through

200449, were built by American Car &

Foundry at its Huntington, W.Va., plant

in April 1965. The remaining 150 cars

were constructed in August 1965. The

last 50 cars (200550 through 200599) had

gravity-pneumatic outlets; the rest

had gravity outlets. The Athearn model

accurately depicts the former.

Model details. The L&N car is based on

an early 4600 covered hopper with a

high brake wheel and single horizontal

stiffener. Athearn also offers the model

with an early body and low brake wheel

and, a late body. A group photo of the

three body styles can be seen on the

next page.

The model features a one-piece plastic

body with a separate roof, slope sheet

braces, and discharge gates. There are

small gaps where the roof meets the sides

on all three of our samples. The end

cages are separate castings with a mix of

plastic and wire grab irons. The L&N car

has two body panels, accurate for an

early production car. Post-1972 covered

hoppers have seven panels.

The roof is equally well detailed. The

L&N car has a continuous pressed steel

hatch cover with separate, factory-

applied and painted wire grab irons.

Athearn

ACF Center

Flow covered

hopper

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20

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61

95

Keeping it Real

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