Athearn Genesis # ATHG87490 HO GATC 2600 Airslide Hopper, Northern Pacific #75888

Athearn Genesis # ATHG87490 HO GATC 2600 Airslide Hopper, Northern Pacific #75888

MODEL FEATURES:

Three different body styles

Detailed underbody including outlet piping

Rectangular or oval shaker brackets

Gravity or gravity-pneumatic outlets

See through metal roof walk

Factory installed wire grab irons and brake piping

Separately applied round roof hatches and brake wheel

Roller bearing or Bettendorf trucks

Machined metal wheels with RP25 contours

Weighted for optimum performance

Body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers

Accurately painted and printed

Highly detailed, injection molded body

Minimum radius: 18”

PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

For the first half of the 20th century, bulk goods were usually bagged and carried in boxcars. After the late 1940s, covered hoppers greatly simplified the process by allowing the bulk material to be poured in through the roof hatches and dumped out the hopper bays. However, flour, starch, sugar and plastics do not “flow” easily from a standard hopper bay.

To solve this problem, the Fuller Company of Catasauqua, PA, patented the Airslide concept. In an Airslide covered hopper, the bays are formed into two narrow, steep-sided troughs with a layer of air-permeable material at the bottom. Air is pumped through the material causing the lading to fluidize and flow easily through the hopper outlets.

Starting in 1953, General American Transportation began building Airslide covered hoppers. One of the two original configurations was a 2,600-cubic foot, single-bay car with a 70-ton capacity. In addition to railroad-owned cars, there were several Airslide covered hoppers leased by GATC to sugar and bakery companies. Later, larger cars were introduced as the railroads continued to improve their infrastructure. To extend the useful lives of the smaller 2600 cuft cars, some of them were permanently connected in 2-unit drawbar sets. The drawbar sets operated as a single car, and therefore had a whopping total capacity of 5200 cuft- although their substantial length was a notable drawback.