N ACF4600 Covered Hopper, BN #455990 (ATHG-1563)

This N-scale model recreates the ACF 4600 Center Flow Covered Hopper, a three-bay grain car introduced in the mid-1960s by American Car and Foundry. Its rounded center-flow body and 4,600 cubic feet of capacity were designed for gravity unloading of bulk commodities like grain and corn and to fit within tight Plate B clearances. The model features a detailed injection-molded body with faithful painting and printing, sized for standard N-scale layouts.

Three body styles reflect the design’s evolution—early with a high-side ladder and brake wheel, mid with a lower brake wheel, and late with double side stiffeners—along with round or trough hatches, a photo-etched roofwalk, and detailed outlets plus a separately applied brake wheel. It rides on 100-ton trucks with 36-inch machined metal wheels, uses body-mounted McHenry scale knuckle couplers, and is weighted for smooth operation. Fully finished, it carries a minimum curve radius of 9 3/4 inches, and a Primed for Grime version duplicates the faded in-service look to serve as a perfect starting point for adding grime and rust. In prototype service, the Center Flow design replaced aging boxcars in grain moves, delivering efficient bulk-car performance across mid- to long-distance runs.