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50' Outside Braced Box Car
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40' Wood Reefer Private Owner
40' Wood Reefer
40' AAR Steel Reefer
Express Reefer
50-foot Steel Single Door Box Car
50' Steam Era Auto Box Car
50' Double-Door Auto Box Car
50' Mechanical Refrigerator
50-foot Outside Braced Refrigerator
3-Dome Tank Car
Chemical Tank Car
Single Dome Tank Car
62' Tank Car
Heavy Duty Flat Car
40' Flat Car w/Stakes
40' Flat Car w/Load
50' Flat Car w/Stakes
85' All Purpose Flat Car
85' Piggyback Flat Car
Pickle Car
55' ACF Hopper
54' PS Hopper
Quad Hopper
Pulpwood Car
40' Wood Box Car
Grain Loading Box Car
50' Flat w/2 Vans
25' Piggyback Vans
Stock Car
34' Offset Side Hopper
34' Composite Side Hopper
34' Ribbed Side Hopper
Freightliner
Tractor w/40' Trailer
40' Trailers
Snow Plow
Auto Loader
200 Ton Crane
4-Door 86' Hi-Cube
8-Door 86' Hi-Cube
40' Outside Brace Hi-Cube
40' Smooth Side Hi-Cube
50' Plug Door
Modern Billboards
Streamline Passenger Cars
Streamline Baggage
Streamline Diner
Streamline R.P.O.
Streamline Coach
Streamline Vista Dome
Streamline Observation
Heavyweight Passenger Cars
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1970
1971
1972
1974
1975
1976
1977
1980's
Athearn OEM
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References
About This Site

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55' ACF Hopper
ACF Demo 
No. 1901 -1968 Release

55' ACF Hopper
Borg Warner 
No.1917

The Borg Wagner example was constructed utilized the various roof hatches found in Athearn's kit. This provides an excellent illustration, but is a non-prototypical model. You'll find round hatches or elongated trough hatches, but not both on a prototype car.

55' ACF Hopper
Chevron
No.1920

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55' ACF Hopper
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
No. 1923

55' ACF Hopper
Co-op Fertilizer 
No.1909

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55' ACF Hopper
Cotton Belt SSW 
No. 1918

55' ACF Hopper
Diamond Plastic 
No. 1913

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55' ACF Hopper
Denver & Rio Grande Western
No. 1906

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55' ACF Hopper
Dow
No. 1902 -1968 Release

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55' ACF Hopper
DuPont
No. 1903 -1968 Release

55' ACF Hopper
Enjay Plastics
No.1904

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55' ACF Hopper
Firestone
No.1919

55' ACF Hopper
Great Northern
No. 1906 -1968 Release

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55' ACF Hopper
Gulf Oil
No. 1907 -1968 Release

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55' ACF Hopper
New York Central 
No. 1908 -1968 Release

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55' ACF Hopper
Rexall
No. 1909 -1968 Release

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55' ACF Hopper
Santa Fe
No. 1915

55' ACF Hopper
Shell
No. 1910 -1968 Release

55' ACF Hopper
Sinclair Koppers 
No.1924

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55' ACF Hopper
Southern Pacific 
No. 1911 -1968 Release

55' ACF Hopper
Stauffer Chemical 
No.1922

55' ACF Hopper
Tenneco
No.1916

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55' ACF Hopper
Union Carbide
No. 1921

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55' ACF Hopper
Union Pacific 
No. 1912 -1968 Release

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55' ACF Hopper
United Carbon 
No.1914

55' ACF Hopper
WR Grace
No. 1905 -1968 Release

55' ACF Hopper
Undecorated 
No. 1900 -1968 Release

In 1968, Athearn introduces the ACF 5250C 100 Ton Center Flow Hopper. A dozen roadnames are offered in 1968: ACF, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Enjay Plastics, Grace, Great Northern, Gulf Oil, New York Central, Rexall, Shell Oil, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, plus an Undecorated example. Dealers could buy Athearn stock number 7512, which provided an assortment of one each of the twelve road names. The car's original retail was $2.98 and it was only produced in kit form at its introduction. Athearn's kit provided the modeler's choice of eight round hatches or elongated trough hatch covers for the car's roof. The round hatches would be accurate with the outlets included on the bottom of the model. The hatches would go on a gravity outlet gated car, which is not part of Athearn's design. Part maker Detail Associates offers a set of four straight gravity gates to correct the underframe of the car for use with hatches.

Available online, you'll find a 1994 Rail Model Journal magazine article ACF CF5250 Four-Bay Center Flow Covered Hoppers by Jim Eager. Mr. Eager's story details the prototype's history with info, such as it was built by ACF (American Car & Foundry) between 1964 and 1982. Prototype roof hatch info is provided too, such as an example with eight round hatches would be used for shipping feeds and lighter grains. Six round hatches on the roof would be a 5250 carrying foodstuffs (corn starch, sugar, flour). This is an excellent review of the prototype with notes pretaining to models in HO- and N-scale and recommended reading. You'll find this article and many more complete magazines online at the TrainLife.com website.

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Late 1968 brings four new freight cars into the Athearn line.

Please note that this site was created for use by those with an interest in HO-scale model trains and does not necessarily represent the current Athearn line available today. The author is not affiliated with, nor representing Athearn and/or Horizon Hobby in any way. This site is intended for your enjoyment and information only.
Images and information presented on this site comes from a variety of sources including magazines, internet, catalogs, visitor input, and the author's collection.