Model Railroading > SWFX ACF type coal hoppers

Attached is a three quarter view of the SWFX coal cars used by Apache to move coal to and from the paper mill it serves. I found this one and a few others on the Internet, primarily from rrarchivepictures.net and railphotos.net (Making sure I give proper credit as best I can remember).

I plan on trying to model this one and maybe a small fleet. I think this is doable using an older ACF hopper. I was thinking of using the ACF BB Athearn version since I have several, and they still can be had at a reasonable price.

Does the BB Athearn ACF plastics car the proper length? What is the length of this car? I figure I will have to remove the top 1/4, reinforce the top as in the picture with beveled styrene, and replace the bottom with something close to scratchbuilt doors.

Where these cars the only examples of the ACF car? Interestingly enough, the NSW coal cars from down under look pretty close also, though they are shorter and have spill over shields.

Comments, suggestions and ANSWERS are encouraged without fail!

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Umler information, length is on the 5th line.

SWFX 1668 H350 B
N/A 69100
263000 193900 3640
N/A N/A
54' 5" / 10' 8" / 12' 6" N/A
N/A 0000000

Read carefully

ACFX? ? 1 prototype car ACF -74
SWFX 1600-1669 70 ACF 9-75 Southwest Forest Industries
AHMX 1000-1004 5 ACF 5-76 to MKT 37001-37005 in 1978
BN 530000-530004 5 ACF -76 returned to ACF in 1985

Length over corner posts is 50'-5", identical to the CF4650 covered hopper. Truck centres are essentially identical, 41'-3" for the 3640cf open top car and 1/4" longer for the 4650. The 5250 (i.e. Athearn blue box car) is 53'-11" over corner posts so it is too long, and suffers from sides that are overly flat compared to the prototypes.

On that basis I'd say the 4650 is your ideal starting point. Since so many changes are required including removing and rebuilding most of the bottom of the car between the bolsters,either the Atlas or Intermountain late phase cars should work, or for that matter the old Front Range/McKean car.

Doug Stark



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/09 20:26 by BN_FAN.

All,

Thanks for the info. It gave me some more leads and enough dimensions to try my hand. I have some old Front Range cars. They were stripped years ago and now sit as orphans, waiting on a project. This seems to be the one to give them new life. I will update on the model once I get started. Turns out Texas Mexican got some also...

Thanks to all of the replies. Now to find a decent picture of the doors.

CSabresXr1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Read carefully
>
> ACFX? ? 1 prototype car ACF -74
> SWFX 1600-1669 70 ACF 9-75 Southwest Forest
> Industries
> AHMX 1000-1004 5 ACF 5-76 to MKT 37001-37005 in
> 1978
> BN 530000-530004 5 ACF -76 returned to ACF in 1985

How does these relate to the RNDX 145 built in 10-68?  Look uite similar, just not exactly the same.

Robert

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koloradokid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CSabresXr1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Read carefully
> >
> > ACFX? ? 1 prototype car ACF -74
> > SWFX 1600-1669 70 ACF 9-75 Southwest Forest
> > Industries
> > AHMX 1000-1004 5 ACF 5-76 to MKT 37001-37005 in
> > 1978
> > BN 530000-530004 5 ACF -76 returned to ACF in
> 1985
>
> How does these relate to the RNDX 145 built in
> 10-68?  Look uite similar, just not exactly the
> same.
>
> Robert

I am thinking ACFX? ? was actually RNDX 145.