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Post by bn7023 on Nov 9, 2023 13:22:13 GMT -8
  Is it okay for these covered hoppers to have a trough-type hatch inlet? If they were round hatches, what shape would they be? All are P-S PS-2CD 4740, and from the front, they are UP-Sugar (Athearn), Terra Chemicals (Athearn), and FMC Chemicals (IHC). |
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cvacr
Full Member
Posts: 123
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Post by cvacr on Nov 13, 2023 7:37:05 GMT -8
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Post by snootie3257 on Nov 13, 2023 9:02:41 GMT -8
If they were round hatches, what shape would they be? Ummmm round? Is this a trick question? Steve |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Nov 13, 2023 9:41:12 GMT -8
Round hatches are slower to load but seal better afterwards. In my opinion.
So the load would likely determine the hatch type.
I suggest you explore the Tangent website, and check out the hatch types.
Ed
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Post by bn7023 on Nov 14, 2023 0:54:31 GMT -8
Thank you, cvacr. I was surprised that chemical raw materials were introduced in a continuous trough. |
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Post by tomnoy3 on Nov 14, 2023 8:18:36 GMT -8
The FMC is most likely soda ash or something similar. The Terra wmost likely Urea fertilizer. Both would/could use troughs
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Post by bn7023 on Nov 14, 2023 17:03:18 GMT -8
The FMC is most likely soda ash or something similar. The Terra wmost likely Urea fertilizer. Both would/could use troughs Fertilizer? So, what do you think of these six cars? All are Athearn products, two are junk.  |
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Post by wagnersteve on Nov 14, 2023 18:50:08 GMT -8
Nov. 14, about 9:31 p.m., EST
A few comments in reply to bn7023.
I've had quite a few of Athearn's Center Flow cars of the same size (5250 cu. ft., with four outlet bays) as in your photos over the years. I think all but the Co-Op Fertilizer one should have the round hopper covers, because the ones lettered for Chevron, Rohm & Haas, Shell and Union Carbide were clearly used to carry plastic pellets; I'm guessing that the Stauffer car did as well. I think the Shell car and Chevron cars are most unrealistic: I've never seen a real car that had both trough hatches and the almost round type of hatch cover, and I've never seen the latter type painted in a color different from the main color of the car fitted with them. I'll leave it to someone who has actually helped load cars with such covers to say whether or not they would not all be oriented in the same direction. Trough hatch covers were used very differently. I gather that routinely removed at the grain elevators where they were loaded and were not always put back on the cars from which they were taken. It was common to see different types of trough hatch covers on the same car and quite common to see a car with hatch covers of more than one color.
I had one of the Rohm & Haas cars -- partly because I know what Plexiglas is and I used to pass the Rohm & Haas plant in Bristol or Morrisville, PA, not far from Trenton, NJ while riding PRR, PC and Amtrak passenger trains -- but got rid of it, because of a foolish error in some its small lettering. I have the Co-Op Fertilizers car in the photo; but it's somewhere in a storage area away from my house; my record car for it doesn't specify the type of hatch covers, but I t think they are of the trough type. I have the Stauffer car with a slightly different car number, ditto. I have one of the Shell Chemical cars.
One of my favorite Athearn cars of this type is another one with the roundish hatch covers used for carrying plastic pellets, with Gulf in huge orange letters on a gray background, like a car I saw from the first train on which I ever rode into Boston.
Such cars really should carry warning signs against trespassing into them but historically have not. Many do carry signs warning not to move the car until the hatches are secure. One youngster in the Boston area actually climbed through one of the hatches into a car loaded with plastic pellets and suffocated. He simply could not get. out.
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Post by Baikal on Nov 14, 2023 19:37:26 GMT -8
Nov. 14, about 9:31 p.m., EST Such cars really should carry warning signs against trespassing into them but historically have not. Many do carry signs warning not to move the car until the hatches are secure. One youngster in the Boston area actually climbed through one of the hatches into a car loaded with plastic pellets and suffocated. He simply could not get. out.
It's rediculous that you're blaming the railroad or industry. As if text would have stopped the trespasser. Why not require every body of water to have signs "Stay away! You may drown!" Signage can only do so much before it's counter-productive.
All RR equipment is dangerous, it's implicit. Stay away / stay alive.
Former RR employee here, no PhD.
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Post by lvrr325 on Nov 14, 2023 20:59:06 GMT -8
I think the mixed hatches is the result of someone literally following the directions that came with the car and not understanding you would use one or the other, not both on the same car. IIRC the diagram showed both types to show you where to install them.
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Post by wagnersteve on Nov 15, 2023 6:29:40 GMT -8
11/15/23, about 9:27 a.m.
lvrr325, I'm sure you're right about the mixed hatches.
Baikal, you make a very good point. I do think that when ponds, rivers or lakes freeze over but the ice is not thick enough to support skaters or ice fishermen signs should be posted.
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Post by grabirons on Nov 16, 2023 12:39:20 GMT -8
Did IHC directly copy the body of the Athearn 4740 when they made their version of that hopper? The car isn't bad, but the trucks are inset several feet. While we're at it, IHC tank cars are descent looking..would like to see a Brian B upgrade on this forum.
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Post by lvrr325 on Nov 16, 2023 19:22:50 GMT -8
Tyco cloned both Athearn covered hoppers, so the IHC car probably is that tooling.
There also is a Kader clone of the center-flow, sold initially by AHM but more recently a Bachmann piece.
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Post by bn7023 on Nov 16, 2023 22:36:06 GMT -8
Did IHC directly copy the body of the Athearn 4740 when they made their version of that hopper? The car isn't bad, but the trucks are inset several feet. Grabirons, you're right. The gray FMC car was made by IHC (ex- Tyco tooling, as lvrr325 said). Although the workmanship is good, this one I got is junk. The white UP "Sugar" car was made by Athearn, which wheels have been changed from 33" to 36". The IHC one compared to this Athearn one, several modifications can be found. It seems like it would be a bit of a pain to upgrade an IHC product to the same level as an Athearn product. By the way, I am not a prototype modeler.     |
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Post by cemr5396 on Nov 17, 2023 9:54:04 GMT -8
ah yes, the classic "make a direct copy of someone else's model but make it worse". This car is far from the only example of that happening.
Any time I hear anyone refer to those days as the "golden age" of modeling I laugh in their face. The real golden age is right now.
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Nov 17, 2023 10:57:28 GMT -8
11/15/23, about 9:27 a.m. lvrr325, I'm sure you're right about the mixed hatches. Baikal, you make a very good point. I do think that when ponds, rivers or lakes freeze over but the ice is not thick enough to support skaters or ice fishermen signs should be posted. Then who would have the responsibility to test the conditions and apply or remove said signs as needed?....nannyism gone mad!  Meanwhile we return to scheduled programing...  please! |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Nov 17, 2023 11:01:23 GMT -8
ah yes, the classic "make a direct copy of someone else's model but make it worse". This car is far from the only example of that happening. Any time I hear anyone refer to those days as the "golden age" of modeling I laugh in their face. The real golden age is right now. Taking more GOLD than ever to participate, as well....  |
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Post by cemr5396 on Nov 17, 2023 13:18:38 GMT -8
ah yes, the classic "make a direct copy of someone else's model but make it worse". This car is far from the only example of that happening. Any time I hear anyone refer to those days as the "golden age" of modeling I laugh in their face. The real golden age is right now. Taking more GOLD than ever to participate, as well.... I've actually had this conversation with a friend of mine before. The amount of time you have to work (assuming for a second we all are employed or were at some point) to pay for a model is still pretty close to the same now as it was then. Sure, Blue Box locomotives were 50 bucks or whatever they were, but back then a lot of people also made a hundred or 200 bucks a week. And let's be honest, Blue Box locomotives sucked. If you wanted the good stuff (brass), it was a hell of a lot more. Fast forward to 2023, and a brand new HO locomotive will still cost me around the same percentage of whatever I make during a week. Except now it has road number specific detail, great paint and lettering, and DCC/Sound. Which makes working half a week to pay for a measly Blue Box loco look like not such a great deal by comparison.... |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Nov 17, 2023 16:15:53 GMT -8
At 75yrs with a less than COLA capped retirement, those golden newbies are a bit more precious in the budget than for many of you. I have almost all  , no way more than, the stash of toy trains I need. Very rarely do I preorder anything. My eyes can’t see all them fancy gee-gaws all a y’all get so blink house afire excited about when running my “train set” anywho. I’m roster building with lots of folks cast offs…buying A-line P2K gear sets in bulk….  |
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please!
, no way more than, the stash of toy trains I need. Very rarely do I preorder anything. My eyes can’t see all them fancy gee-gaws all a y’all get so blink house afire excited about when running my “train set” anywho. 