Tangent HO GA 4500 Covered Hopper ADM

Description

Railroad Short Name: CRDX

During the 1960s, railcar builders experimented with new covered hopper designs to satisfy the evolving needs of shippers as they moved away from forty-foot box cars to bulk transport railcars. During the 1963-1966 period, General American Transportation Corporation (GATC) produced its first “grain hopper” design as a 4500 cubic foot capacity prototype, selling more than 1,200 cars to a variety of railroads and lessors. The design had two distinct exterior appearances, with either 13 or 15 exterior side posts. The 4500 had a sister car design, of 4700 cubic feet, which looked similar because it had the same side post variations, however it utilized a 5-inch taller design.

CRDX “ADM Blue Lease 9-1966” is one of those schemes that defines the word “sharp.”  ADM leased these cars from Chicago Freight Car Leasing Company (CRDX) and they were painted in a wonderful ADM dark blue with white graphics.  These models duplicate the CRDX prototypes with Morton roof walkways and body mounted brake gear.  Look closely at the bays, and you will notice the distinctive Wine “Combo” style outlet gates that allowed for either normal gravity unloading or low pressure air-assisted pneumatic unloading depending on the commodity.  The B-end features an accurate Morton brake step and Ajax power brake.  The low retainer valve is mounted near the air reservoir, just like the prototype.

Features for these GA 4500 replicas include:

• Dimensional accuracy – designed from General American plans and verified with field measurements
• Highly correct “true to life” colors
• Industry-leading “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement
• Genuine Kadee® scale couplers
• “Near-scale” draft gear box with beautifully-rendered side “key” detail
• Multiple road numbers for each scheme
• Signature GATC ribbed roof with both upper and lower flange roof edge fastener detail
• Six-panel GATC roof hatch with separately applied metal hand grabs and locking knobs.
• “See through” running boards and crossover platforms (in both Apex and Morton Uni-wing combinations)
• Road-specific details for each scheme, including 2 different brake systems, 6 different outlet gates, 2 different running board and brake step platform options, end ladder options, 12 brakewheel housing and clevis options, 2 retainer valve mounting options and 2 different routing board options.
• Beautiful details including separately-applied scale wire grab irons and coupler lift bars – no “molded on” plastic grab irons or “thick” plastic grab iron parts anywhere on this replica!
• Metal corner stirrup steps
• Separate flexible rubber air hoses
• CNC-machined 36” wheels
• Our precision Tangent Scale Models 100-ton Barber S-2 trucks with prototype-specific rotating bearing caps (four possible options!) and separate brake beam part (2 possible options!)